- Senate Backs State Police, Sends Bill For Further Review
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Bill seeks to transfer policing powers to states.
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Lawmakers say reform will strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The Senate on Thursday passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish state police and transfer policing powers to subnational governments as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
The proposed 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), 2026 (SB. 794), was sponsored by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele.
The bill received overwhelming support from senators across party lines during deliberations on the Senate floor.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that following the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the proposal to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for further legislative scrutiny.
The committee is chaired by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau.
Presenting the general principles of the bill, Bamidele said the legislation became necessary due to the growing insecurity across the country.
He identified terrorism, banditry, mass kidnappings, farmer-herder clashes, cultism, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism and cybercrime as major threats confronting Nigeria.
According to him, the existing centralised policing structure has struggled to effectively tackle increasingly complex and localised security challenges.
Bamidele stated that many Nigerians have consistently called for a decentralised policing system capable of responding more efficiently to threats at the grassroots level.
The Senate Leader explained that the bill seeks to establish both federal and state police structures, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each level of policing.
He added that the proposal provides for the creation of State Police Service Commissions to oversee recruitment, discipline and operational standards within state police formations.
According to him, the bill also seeks to move policing powers from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing both federal and state governments to share responsibility for law enforcement.
Bamidele stressed that the proposal would strengthen cooperative federalism rather than undermine national unity.
Addressing concerns over possible abuse of state police by governors, he said the bill contains safeguards, including federal oversight mechanisms, uniform national policing standards, legislative confirmation of senior appointments and periodic operational reviews.
He added that provisions for federal intervention during a complete breakdown of law and order were included to ensure accountability and balance.
Bamidele further argued that local policing would improve intelligence gathering, enable quicker responses to security threats and strengthen public trust in law enforcement agencies.
He said decentralisation would also allow the Federal Police to concentrate on interstate crimes, terrorism, organised criminal networks, border security, cybercrime and the protection of federal assets.
Drawing comparisons with countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, Bamidele noted that multi-layered policing systems are common in federal democracies.
Several senators, particularly from the northern region, endorsed the proposal, describing state police as a potential long-term solution to the country’s security challenges.
Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno also backed the bill, saying it would help regulate the growing number of vigilante groups operating across the country while providing a legal framework for accountability and effectiveness.
The bill was subsequently referred to the Constitution Review Committee for further legislative consideration.
