Tinubu Sends State Police Bill to Senate, Calls for Constitutional Amendment

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate seeking the creation of state police, a move that could reshape Nigeria’s internal security structure if passed by the National Assembly and state legislatures.

The bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

For decades, policing in Nigeria has remained largely controlled by the Federal Government, even as states continue to face different security threats, ranging from kidnapping and banditry to communal violence, insurgency and urban crime.

The proposed amendment is expected to open the door for a multi-layered policing system, where federal and state security agencies operate within clearly defined legal boundaries.

Legislative sources confirmed that the bill has been received by the Senate and is expected to be listed for first reading in the coming legislative sessions. Once introduced, lawmakers will begin the formal process of considering the proposal under the constitutional amendment procedure.

The push for state police has been one of the longest-running debates in Nigeria’s security and constitutional reform space. Supporters argue that state-controlled police forces would improve local intelligence, strengthen community policing and make security response faster in areas where federal police presence is weak or overstretched.

Governors have also repeatedly argued that they are often held responsible for security failures in their states without having direct operational control over the police command structure.

The Tinubu administration’s decision to transmit the bill comes at a time when insecurity remains one of the biggest pressures on households, businesses and investors across the country. Many communities continue to face rising security costs, disrupted farming activity, reduced movement of goods and weaker investor confidence.

If passed, state police could give governors stronger tools to respond to local threats. It could also help improve coordination between communities and security agencies, especially in areas where officers with local knowledge are needed.

However, the proposal remains controversial.

Opponents have raised concerns that state police could be abused by governors for political purposes. There are fears that state-controlled security agencies could be used to intimidate opponents, influence elections or worsen regional and ethnic tensions.

There are also questions around funding, recruitment standards, accountability and command structure. Poorer states may struggle to finance and maintain professional police forces, while weak oversight could create new risks for citizens.

Because the proposal requires a constitutional amendment, it must pass through a long legislative process. It must secure the support of at least two-thirds of members in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. After that, it must be approved by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly before it can be sent back for presidential assent.

The process is expected to involve public hearings, consultations with security experts, state governments, civil society groups and other stakeholders.

If approved, the bill would mark one of the most far-reaching changes to Nigeria’s security system since the return to democracy in 1999. It would also test the country’s ability to balance local security control with safeguards against political abuse.

For now, the bill’s transmission to the Senate marks a key step in the long debate over whether Nigeria’s centralised policing model can still meet the security demands of a country of more than 200 million people.