President Bola Tinubu has formally transmitted a constitution alteration bill seeking the establishment of state police across Nigeria to the Senate, marking a significant step toward decentralising the country’s security architecture.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed the development during Tuesday’s plenary session, announcing that the upper chamber would begin consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday.
Akpabio also revealed that state governments had indicated their readiness to consider the legislation once it is transmitted to them, paving the way for broader consultations on one of the most consequential security reforms proposed in recent years.
The bill seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police forces across the federation.
The proposal aims to empower state governments to play a more direct role in addressing security challenges within their jurisdictions.
The move follows sustained advocacy by President Tinubu for constitutional reforms that would allow states to assume greater responsibility for maintaining law and order.
In February, Tinubu called on the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state policing, arguing that the reform had become necessary in light of persistent security threats, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity, the president stated during his Democracy Day address earlier this month that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full force of the law.
He maintained that there would be no leniency for individuals threatening the nation’s stability and security.
Tinubu also disclosed that security agencies had neutralised more than 13,000 terrorists within the past year, while noting that terrorism-related fatalities had declined significantly compared to previous years.
Despite these gains, the president acknowledged that ongoing cases of abduction, including schoolchildren held captive in Oyo and Borno states, underscore the continuing security challenges confronting the country.
The push for state police has gained traction in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes to devolve policing powers from the federal government to the states.
Lawmakers are expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as the Senate moves to deliberate on the bill, a development that could accelerate efforts to implement what many observers regard as one of the most far-reaching security reforms in Nigeria’s democratic era.
If approved by the National Assembly and endorsed by the required number of state Houses of Assembly, the constitutional amendment could fundamentally reshape policing and internal security management across the country.
