President Bola Tinubu has formally transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate, marking a major step toward restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the development during plenary on Tuesday, revealing that the upper chamber would commence consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday.
According to Mr Akpabio, state governments have also indicated their readiness to deliberate on the proposal as soon as it is transmitted to them.
The bill seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police forces across the federation.
The latest move is in line with President Tinubu’s longstanding advocacy for constitutional reforms that would grant states greater responsibility in addressing security challenges within their jurisdictions.
In February, the President called on the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state policing, arguing that the current centralized policing structure requires reforms to effectively combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
Tinubu has repeatedly maintained that state police would strengthen grassroots security and improve intelligence gathering, particularly in areas facing persistent security threats.
During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity, warning that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full force of the law.
He disclosed that security agencies had neutralised more than 13,000 terrorists over the past year and recorded a significant reduction in terrorism-related fatalities nationwide.
Despite the gains, Tinubu acknowledged that the continued captivity of some schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states underscored the need for sustained efforts to overcome the country’s security challenges.
The push for state police has gathered momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment proposals aimed at decentralising policing powers and strengthening sub-national security structures.
The Senate is expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session to begin deliberations on the bill, which observers describe as one of the most significant security reforms proposed since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
