The Nigerian Senate has passed a landmark constitutional amendment bill to establish state police across the federation, marking the most significant shift in the country's security architecture since the 1999 Constitution .
The legislation, titled "A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to Provide for the Establishment of State Police; and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration)", was approved on Wednesday during a plenary session presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio .
Executive Bill Fast-Tracked
President Bola Tinubu transmitted the executive bill to the National Assembly on Tuesday, requesting accelerated consideration. The Senate granted first, second, and third readings during Wednesday's plenary, demonstrating the urgency attached to the reform .
The bill was approved after a clause-by-clause review at the Committee of the Whole, with lawmakers securing the constitutionally required support of more than two-thirds of members .
Key Provisions of the Amendment
The proposed amendment creates a framework for state policing that will operate alongside the existing federal police structure, ending the Federal Government's exclusive control over policing .
State Police Leadership: Under Clause 17 of the amendment, while the Federal Police Service will continue to be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, each State Police Service shall be headed by a Commissioner of Police appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state legislature .
Governors' Authority: A governor may issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to the Commissioner of Police on matters relating to public safety and public order within the state .
Safeguards Against Abuse
To address concerns that governors could misuse state police for political purposes, lawmakers incorporated extensive safeguards designed to protect civil liberties and political rights .
A key provision states that "a state Commissioner of Police shall not arrest, detain, investigate or deploy force against any person, political party or group merely for criticising the government except in accordance with the law" .
The bill also prohibits state police from engaging in partisan, ethnic, religious, or sectional persecution, while preserving the right of courts and relevant oversight bodies to review any questionable directives .
Debate and Support
Leading the debate, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the bill as one of the most consequential constitutional reforms in Nigeria's democratic history, arguing that the 1999 Constitution's centrally controlled Nigeria Police Force is now inadequate for contemporary threats .
Bamidele cited the security pressures driving the reform: terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, farmer-herder clashes, cybercrime, and organized crime networks .
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who previously opposed state police, said Nigeria's worsening security situation had convinced him that extraordinary measures were now necessary. He stressed the need for constitutional guarantees on funding and oversight to ensure state police institutions remained professional and accountable .
Former Sokoto Governor Senator Aminu Tambuwal backed the bill as a step toward true federalism but urged robust safeguards against future abuse .
Senator Tahir Monguno cited existing community security structures, such as the Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno and Amotekun in the South-West, as proof of the need for formal state policing .
Funding and Operational Concerns
Despite broad support, lawmakers raised concerns about funding arrangements. Some stakeholders have proposed allocating 3% of Federation Account revenues to support state police operations, though governors argue this amount would be insufficient even for salaries .
The bill provides that no State Police Service shall commence operations until it has been established by a law enacted by the relevant State House of Assembly and certified as meeting national minimum standards .
Voting Process
The Senate adopted a manual voting process after repeated efforts to use the electronic voting system failed due to technical issues. Lawmakers stood and raised their hands, and a majority of the 109-member chamber voted in favour of the amendment .
Next Steps
The bill will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly. For the amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must secure approval from at least 24 state legislatures .
The passage was witnessed by Governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Uba Sani of Kaduna, and Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and several state attorneys-general .
Supporters of state policing have long argued that Nigeria's centrally controlled police structure lacks the capacity to effectively tackle banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and communal conflicts across the country. If the remaining constitutional requirements are met, the legislation could fundamentally reshape Nigeria's security architecture by creating state-controlled police services that operate alongside the federal police system .
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