Senate passes state police bill

The Senate on Wednesday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria, marking a major step toward restructuring the country’s security architecture.

The bill was approved after lawmakers considered and adopted its 26 clauses during the Committee of the Whole.

If eventually enacted, the legislation will create a constitutional framework allowing states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the existing federal police system. The proposal is aimed at improving security, strengthening intelligence gathering, and ensuring quicker responses to local threats.

Leading debate on the bill, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, described it as one of the most significant constitutional reforms since Nigeria’s return to democracy. He noted that the bill was transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu as an executive proposal.

According to Bamidele, the growing challenges of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, cybercrime and organised criminal activities have exposed the limitations of the country’s centralised policing system.

He explained that while the federal police would continue to handle national security issues such as terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, border security and arms trafficking, state police services would be responsible for enforcing state laws, maintaining public order, preventing crime and protecting lives and property within their jurisdictions.

The Senate leader added that states wishing to establish police services would be required to pass enabling laws through their respective Houses of Assembly and comply with national standards set by the National Assembly.

Bamidele also said the bill contains safeguards to prevent political abuse, including provisions prohibiting governors from using state police to target individuals, political opponents, ethnic groups or religious organisations.

During the debate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said he had previously opposed state police but had changed his position due to worsening insecurity across the country.

He argued that the security situation now requires innovative solutions and expressed support for the proposal. However, he stressed the need for strong provisions in the police legislation that would eventually operationalise the constitutional amendment.

Abaribe warned against granting excessive powers to the President to take over state police formations and called for constitutional guarantees on funding to ensure the independence of state police commissions.

Also supporting the bill, Senator Aminu Tambuwal said state police would strengthen federalism and improve local security management.

Drawing from experiences in Sokoto State, Tambuwal cited repeated attacks by bandits and the loss of security personnel as evidence that alternative policing arrangements are necessary.

He, however, urged lawmakers to ensure adequate safeguards against abuse by state authorities, stressing that accountability mechanisms must accompany the new policing structure.

For the constitutional amendment to become law, it must still receive approval from at least two-thirds of the country’s state Houses of Assembly before being forwarded to the President for assent.