Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
President Bola Tinubu has urged the House of Representatives to fast-track approval of a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for the creation of state police, in what could become a landmark reform aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s security architecture.
The proposed amendment, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, was formally transmitted to the National Assembly in a letter dated June 15, 2026, and presented before lawmakers during Tuesday’s plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
In his communication to the House, Tinubu called for urgent legislative action on the bill, describing the establishment of state police as a critical component of his administration’s broader security reform agenda.
The President said the proposed amendment would provide “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services,” enabling a more decentralised policing framework designed to improve security coordination, enhance local intelligence gathering, and strengthen the country’s response to emerging security threats.
The move represents one of the most significant attempts in recent years to overhaul Nigeria’s policing structure, which has long been dominated by the central government, by granting states a greater role in maintaining internal security.
According to Tinubu, the bill builds on earlier work already undertaken by the House of Representatives while introducing additional safeguards to ensure the effective operation of a dual policing structure.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” the President stated.
Tinubu described the amendment as a critical component of his administration’s strategy to reorganise the country’s security architecture and expressed confidence that lawmakers would act swiftly on the proposal.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
If approved by both chambers of the National Assembly and ratified by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly, the proposed amendment would introduce a dual policing structure, allowing both the Federal Government and state governments to operate constitutionally recognised police services.
The move represents a major development in Nigeria’s long-running debate over police decentralisation, an issue that has remained at the centre of constitutional reform discussions for more than two decades.
Successive administrations, state governors and security experts have argued that the country’s highly centralised policing system is increasingly overstretched in the face of escalating security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts and other forms of violent crime.
Several state-supported security initiatives have emerged in recent years to complement federal security agencies, including in the South-West and in parts of the South-East.
Proponents of state police believe the reform would enhance intelligence gathering, improve emergency response, and promote stronger community-based policing.
However, critics have raised concerns over the potential misuse of state-controlled police forces by political leaders and have called for robust safeguards to protect operational independence and accountability.
As lawmakers begin deliberations on the bill, key issues surrounding funding, oversight, command structure, recruitment, accountability and constitutional protections are expected to dominate discussions on the future of state policing in Nigeria.
