BREAKING: Tinubu sends state police bill to Senate, seeks constitutional amendment

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police across the country, a move that could bring about one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s security structure in recent years.

The proposed legislation aims to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow state governments to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

If passed, the bill would end the long-standing system in which policing remains under the exclusive control of the Federal Government, introducing a new framework that gives states a direct role in law enforcement and internal security.

Sources at the National Assembly said the bill has been received by the Senate and is expected to be listed for first reading in the coming days, after which lawmakers will begin formal consideration of the proposal.

The push for state police has featured prominently in national conversations on security and constitutional reform, with advocates arguing that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and enhance responses to local security challenges.

However, opponents have repeatedly raised concerns about the possibility of state governments abusing police powers, warning that governors could use state-controlled police agencies to intimidate political opponents or influence local politics.

Under the constitutional amendment process, the bill must secure the support of at least two-thirds of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It must also be approved by no fewer than 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can be presented to the President for assent.

If eventually enacted, the legislation would create a multi-tier policing system in which federal and state police agencies operate within clearly defined jurisdictions. The Senate is expected to subject the proposal to extensive debate, stakeholder consultations and public hearings as lawmakers consider what many regard as a landmark security reform proposal.