Nigeria Senate

Author: Gist Correspondent

The Senate on Wednesday outlined key measures designed to prevent state governors from misusing state police powers after passing a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, scaled through the Red Chamber following a clause-by-clause consideration and approval by more than two-thirds of senators through a manual vote.

The bill now awaits concurrence by the House of Representatives, presidential assent, and approval by a majority of state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.

Leading debate on the legislation, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the proposed amendment was crafted to create a decentralised policing system while putting in place strict safeguards to prevent governors from deploying state police for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional or personal interests.

According to him, the bill seeks to strike a balance between local policing autonomy and national oversight, ensuring accountability, effectiveness and constitutional compliance.

Bamidele explained that while the Nigeria Police Force would remain responsible for federal policing duties, states willing to establish their own police services would be empowered to do so under clearly defined constitutional guidelines.

Under the proposed framework, state police would be responsible for enforcing state laws, maintaining public order, preventing and detecting crimes within their jurisdictions, and protecting lives and property.

The federal police, on the other hand, would retain responsibility for national security matters, including counter-terrorism operations, organised crime, cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, and interstate criminal activities.

The Senate Leader also clarified the circumstances under which federal authorities could intervene in state policing matters. Such intervention, he said, would only occur in cases of a breakdown of public order, inability of a state police service to function effectively, serious violations of fundamental rights, established electoral intimidation, or threats to national security.

He added that any federal intervention must receive written authorisation from the President and Commander-in-Chief and would be subject to Senate oversight, judicial review, and limitations on scope and duration.

"The bill provides robust safeguards against abuse, preserves federal authority where necessary, protects constitutional rights and creates a modern policing framework capable of addressing contemporary security challenges," Bamidele stated.

Several senators threw their weight behind the proposal during the debate.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said he had previously opposed state police but had changed his position in view of the worsening security situation across the country.

Former Sokoto State Governor and senator, Aminu Tambuwal, also reiterated his longstanding support for state police, arguing that decentralised policing would improve security management at the grassroots level.

Similarly, Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno urged lawmakers to support the measure, maintaining that state police would strengthen efforts to combat insecurity and improve law enforcement at the subnational level.

The passage of the bill marks a significant step in Nigeria's ongoing efforts to reform its security architecture and address growing calls for a policing system that is more responsive to local realities.