• Bamidele: bill adequately addresses concerns about abuse by state governments
• In the event of disagreeable disputes, police council gives final verdict
Sunday Aborisade and Juliet Akoje in Abuja
Momentum built towards realisation of the long-advocated idea of state police, yesterday, as House of Representatives passed a constitution amendment bill aimed at creating the local policing structure across Nigeria, and the bill scaled Second Reading in Senate.
The development marked a major breakthrough in the push towards devolution of policing powers, an issue that had dominated national conversation for a long time, as Nigerians sought ways of enhancing internal security nationwide.
The bill, 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) Bill, 2026,” received approval during deliberation at Committee of the Whole at a session chaired by Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
In the senate, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who led debate on the state police bill, acknowledged a major concern often raised against the policing structure, saying, it “is the possibility of abuse by state governments. This bill adequately addresses those concerns through several safeguards.”
Consideration of the proposal in the House culminated in a vote after Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, presented the committee’s report.
Kalu, while speaking on the report, urged lawmakers to support the measure, emphasising that a decentralised policing structure is necessary to effectively confront the country’s escalating security problems.
The outcome of a vote on the bill showed overwhelming support, as 289 members voted in favour, one lawmaker abstained, and no member opposed it, showing a broad cross-party endorsement of the significant reform.
The constitution amendment sought to comprehensively overhaul Nigeria’s policing system through the establishment of separate federal police and state police structures.
A major provision of the bill proposes an amendment to Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to formally recognise both the Federal Police and State Police.
Under the proposed arrangement, the National Assembly would have the authority to determine the structure, administration, organisation, and powers of the federal police, while also setting the legal framework and minimum operational standards for state police services.
The legislation further provides that a state police outfit cannot begin operations unless it is created through a law passed by the relevant state House of Assembly and certified as meeting the national minimum standards that would be established by the National Assembly.
It also stipulates that until a state successfully establishes and operationalises its police force, the federal police will continue to perform all policing duties and responsibilities within that state.
To safeguard the independence of state police commands and prevent excessive federal interference, the bill places restrictions on federal involvement in state security matters.
According to the proposal, the federal police may only intervene in a state under specific circumstances, including a complete breakdown of law and order, at the request of a state governor, or when a state police service becomes incapable of functioning because of administrative, financial or operational difficulties.
The amendment equally introduces substantial changes to the leadership and command structure of policing institutions in the country.
Under the proposed revision of Section 215 of the 1999 Constitution, the Inspector-General of Police would be appointed by the President based on the recommendation of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving Federal Police officers, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.
Similarly, a State Commissioner of Police would be appointed by a governor following the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving members of the State Police, with the appointment requiring confirmation by the relevant State House of Assembly.
The bill also grants governors the authority to issue lawful directives to State Commissioners of Police on matters concerning public safety and the maintenance of law and order.
However, if a commissioner believed such instructions were unlawful or inconsistent with accepted policing practices, the matter might be referred to the Nigeria Police Council, whose decision would be binding and final.
Additionally, the proposal seeks to amend Section 84 of the 1999 Constitution by replacing references to the “National Police Council and the Federal Police Service Commission” with the “Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission.”
The House’s passage of the bill represents one of the most significant security-sector reforms proposed since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999.
Following its approval, the amendment bill will be transmitted to the senate for consideration and concurrence.
If approved by the upper chamber, it must then secure the support of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before receiving presidential assent to become part of the constitution.
Bill Passes Second Reading in Senate
In the senate, the state police bill passed Second Reading.
The bill, which enjoyed broad support among all senators across political divides, was referred to Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution by President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for further consideration and scrutiny.
Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, led the debate on the bill, highlighting the national significance of creating a state police amid the dwindling capacity of the Nigeria Police to ensure internal stability.
Nigeria has struggled with huge security challenges, including terrorism and violent extremism, banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, cultism and gang violence, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism and economic sabotage, communal clashes, and emerging cyber-enabled crimes.
To curb the escalating security challenge, may Nigerians called for the establishment of state police, citing the inability of a centralised policing structure to adequately respond to the complex, evolving, and localised security threats facing communities.
In response to the public quest, Bamidele had sponsored the state police bill as one of the measures to strengthen internal security architecture across the federation.
Bamidele stated that the bill sought to modernise Nigeria’s security architecture by establishing federal and state police structures.
He added that the new bill also defined their respective responsibilities; created State Police Service Commissions; provided oversight mechanisms; transferred policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and strengthened cooperative federalism in security administration.
He explained that the proposed amendment “does not weaken national unity. Rather, it strengthens the federation by enabling each level of government to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.”
Bamidele acknowledged that one of the major concerns often raised against State Police “is the possibility of abuse by state governments”, but said, “This bill adequately addresses those concerns through several safeguards.”
The safeguards, according to Bamidele, include establishment of State Police Service Commissions; federal oversight through the Federal Police Service Commission; uniform national policing standards; and legislative confirmation of senior appointments.
He highlighted measures for strengthening constitutional procedures for removal of state commissioners of police; periodic certification and review of state police operations; and federal intervention mechanisms in situations of complete breakdown of law and order, saying these are part of the safeguards to prevent abuse of state police by state governments.
Bamidele stated that all the safeguards “are intended to create a balanced framework that combines operational autonomy with accountability and constitutional oversight”.
He said security “is most effective when it is local”, explaining, “The individuals, who understand the terrain, language, culture and peculiar security dynamics of a community are often best positioned to detect criminal activities before they escalate.”
He added that the establishment of state police “will improve intelligence gathering: Local police officers are better equipped to obtain actionable intelligence from communities because they understand local languages, customs and social structures”.
He stated, “Modern policing relies heavily on intelligence rather than force. State Police will significantly strengthen Nigeria’s intelligence architecture.”
The senate leader said state police would facilitate rapid response to security threats, stressing that the centralised command structure “often creates bureaucratic delays in responding to emergencies”.
Bamidele explained, “State Police formations will possess operational flexibility to respond swiftly to security incidents within their jurisdictions.
“It will promote community policing. Effective policing requires trust between law enforcement and the public. State police will foster stronger community partnerships and improve public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
“It will also relieve pressure on the Federal Police: The Federal Police currently bears responsibility for policing the entire nation. Establishing State Police will allow the Federal Police to focus on interstate crimes; terrorism; organised criminal networks; border security; cybercrime; protection of federal assets and national security operations.
“It will strengthen Nigeria’s federal structure. Nigeria operates a federal system of government. Under a true federation, powers and responsibilities should be appropriately shared among different levels of government. Most mature federations maintain sub-national police institutions alongside federal law enforcement agencies.”
He stated that several federal nations “successfully operate multi-layered policing systems”, saying Nigeria should not remain an exception among federal systems.
He cited the case of the United States, where policing “is undertaken by federal, state, county and municipal agencies. In Canada, provinces maintain their own policing arrangements alongside federal policing institutions”.
Bamidele added, “In Australia, each state maintains its own police force while the federal government retains national policing responsibilities. In Germany, state police services operate alongside federal security agencies. As such, Nigeria should not remain an exception among federal systems.”
After Bamidele’s lead debate, senators, mostly from the north, spoke in favour of the establishment of state police, saying its creation would provide a lasting solution to insecurity in the country.
In his contribution, Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Tahir Monguno, expressed strong support for the state police bill, saying its passage would help address the proliferation of vigilante groups operating across the country.
Monguno said the bill “will provide a legal framework for the establishment and operation of state police, enabling them to effectively discharge their responsibilities while ensuring proper regulation and accountability”.
