Abuja, Nigeria – In a landmark session that fundamentally alters Nigeria's security architecture, the Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, setting the stage for a historic shift from a centrally controlled police force to a dual federal-state policing system .
The executive bill, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, proposes amending the 1999 Constitution to empower states to establish and operate their own police services while retaining a Federal Police Service for national security matters .
The legislation now moves to the 36 State Houses of Assembly, where it must secure ratification by at least 24 states before it can be transmitted to the President for final assent .
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How the New System Will Work
Under the proposed framework, the decades-old Nigeria Police Force would be replaced with a dual structure comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services .
Federal Police Service will retain exclusive jurisdiction over:
· Counter-terrorism and national security
· Cybercrime investigations
· Border security and arms trafficking
· Organized crime and interstate offences
· Policing the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
State Police Services will focus on local law enforcement, including maintaining public order, enforcing state laws, and protecting lives and property within their jurisdictions .
However, no state can arbitrarily launch its police force. The bill stipulates that each state must enact its own law establishing a State Police Service and obtain certification from the National Assembly that it meets "national minimum standards" before operations can commence .
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Constitutional Safeguards Against Abuse
Given widespread fears that governors might weaponize state police against political opponents, the bill introduces unprecedented constitutional firewalls .
Key safeguards include:
· Governors are constitutionally barred from deploying state police for partisan, ethnic, religious, or personal purposes
· Independent State Police Service Commissions in each state will oversee recruitment, promotions, discipline, and general administration
· The National Assembly will prescribe minimum standards covering recruitment, training, use of force, complaints procedures, and professional conduct
· A Commissioner of Police appointed by the governor must be confirmed by the State House of Assembly and can only be removed with two-thirds approval and National Police Council recommendation
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Federal Intervention Powers: The "Off-Switch"
One of the most debated aspects of the bill gives the President power to temporarily assume operational command of any State Police Service under exceptional circumstances .
Intervention triggers include:
· Actual or imminent breakdown of public order that the state police is "unable or unwilling" to contain
· Serious administrative, financial, or operational incapacity of the state police
· Substantial evidence of egregious violation of fundamental rights, partisan intimidation, or ethnic/religious persecution
However, legal analysts have raised concerns about vague definitions. Olumayowa Olaniyi, writing for TheCable, warned: "Who defines unwillingness? Who measures incapacity? The bill answers none of these... The same office that pulls the trigger certifies that the trigger conditions were met" .
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Reactions: Deep Divides Emerge
Supporters Hail "Historic" Reform
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State described the Senate's passage as "epochal," praising President Tinubu as a "champion of true federalism" . Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia called it a "courageous and timely step" that would enable faster responses to local security threats .
Labour Party endorsed the bill, stating: "Nigeria has come of age not to centralise its policing system anymore" . The party expressed confidence that safeguards in Section 17 would prevent abuse .
Speakers of State Houses of Assembly have declared preliminary support, with Bayelsa State lawmakers saying they are ready to pass it quickly . However, some states like Gombe and Akwa Ibom plan to hold public hearings first .
Opposition and Critics Sound Alarm
Peoples Redemption Party rejected the bill outright. National Chairman Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed stated: "This administration lacks the moral assets and the trust of Nigerians to undertake a major shift in the policing structure of the country" .
Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) warned that poorly implemented state police could be vulnerable to "political weaponisation, election interference, or suppression of opposition" .
Retired Commissioner of Police Balarabe Sule raised funding concerns: "Many states will not have the resources to equip and pay remuneration for those to be employed... When you don't pay them well, they will be exposed to corruption" .
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) cautioned: "The 2027 general elections are just around the corner. We must ensure governors don't pack their political thugs into the State Police, thereby using uniforms to harass opponents" .
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What Happens Next
Step 1: The bill is transmitted to the House of Representatives for concurrence (already passed on June 11)
Step 2: At least 24 of 36 State Houses of Assembly must ratify the amendment
Step 3: President Bola Tinubu gives final assent
Step 4: States begin the process of enacting their own laws and seeking certification to establish police services
Why This Matters
For decades, Nigeria has operated a single, centrally controlled police force — a structure that many argue has failed to address the country's worsening security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, and organised crime .
If ratified, this legislation would represent the most significant restructuring of Nigeria's internal security since the return to civil rule in 1999 .
However, as Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged: "We must ensure there are adequate safeguards to prevent abuse. Even current governors who will one day leave office should not be afraid of the state police structure they helped create" .
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