Senate approves constitutional amendment bill establishing state police, targeting improved security coordination and faster response to threats across Nigeria.
The Senate has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria, marking a major shift in the country’s security architecture.
The bill was approved on Wednesday after lawmakers considered and adopted all 26 clauses during the committee of the whole, clearing a key legislative stage.
The proposed legislation creates a constitutional framework for state controlled police forces to operate alongside the existing federal policing structure, with the goal of improving intelligence gathering, strengthening security and enabling faster responses to local threats.
Bamidele described the reform as one of the most significant constitutional changes since Nigeria returned to democratic rule.
“This important Bill is an Executive Bill transmitted by Mr. President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, seeking to alter the Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and other related matters,” he said.
“This Bill represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms in our nation’s democratic evolution. It addresses a long-standing national conversation on the structure, effectiveness, responsiveness and sustainability of policing in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He said the centralised policing system had come under severe pressure due to the growing complexity of insecurity across the country.
“The increasing complexity of security threats, which include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, farmer-herder clashes, cybercrime, organised criminal networks and other transnational crimes, have placed enormous pressure on the existing policing framework,” Bamidele said.
Under the proposed structure, federal police will retain responsibility for counter terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, policing of the Federal Capital Territory and other national security duties.
State police services, where created, will enforce state laws, maintain public order, prevent and detect crimes within their jurisdictions, and protect lives and property.
Bamidele added that the bill includes safeguards to prevent political abuse, prohibiting governors from directing state police to unlawfully target individuals, political parties, groups or associations.
It also bars the use of policing powers for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional or personal interests.
Contributing to the debate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia South, said he had shifted his earlier opposition due to worsening insecurity.
“Mr. President, I used to be one of those that is against state police. Mark my words; I used to be,” he said.
”But today, we know that we have very serious insecurity problem that can only be solved by thinking outside the box. And I think that this is part of it.”
Abaribe warned that the operational law governing the system would be more critical than the constitutional amendment itself.
“But our issue on this is actually what goes into the police act. It’s not really the amendment of the constitution. Because you can amend the constitution but then in the act, matters of usage of the police is where most Nigerians are bothered about,” he said.
He also cautioned against excessive presidential powers to override state police operations.
“We cannot have a situation where the president just looks at a state, maybe he’s not in good terms with the governor, and decides that he will take it over,” he said.
Aminu Tambuwal, senator representing Sokoto South, also backed the bill, saying it strengthens Nigeria’s federal structure.
“Mr. President, let me make it clear that I am in support of this bill and I am in support of the idea of state police,” he said.
He referenced repeated attacks in Sokoto as evidence of the urgency of reform.
“So that is a clear picture of what is happening in most parts of the country. This is needed. Every effort, any effort to curb this menace of insecurity in Nigeria is needed.”
For the amendment to become law, it must be approved by at least two thirds of state houses of assembly before being transmitted to the President for assent.