Tinubu Sends State Police Amendment Bill to Senate

Presidentq Bola Tinubu has formally transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate, marking a major step in ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed this during Tuesday’s plenary, announcing that the upper chamber would begin consideration of the constitutional amendment bill on Wednesday.

According to Akpabio, state governments have also indicated their readiness to consider the proposal once it is transmitted to them, as required under the constitutional amendment process.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment and operation of state police formations across the country.

The development follows repeated calls by President Tinubu for constitutional reforms that would allow states to play a more active role in securing their territories amid growing security challenges.

In February, the President urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state police, describing the move as a critical measure for tackling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.

During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to combating insecurity, vowing that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law.

The President stated that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the last year and noted a significant decline in terrorism-related deaths compared to previous years.

However, he acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remains a painful reminder of the country’s persistent security challenges.

The state police proposal has gained considerable momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes aimed at decentralising policing powers and strengthening local security responses.

The Senate is also expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers move to advance the bill, one of the most far-reaching security reforms proposed in Nigeria’s democratic history.

If approved by the National Assembly, the legislation will be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for ratification, in line with constitutional requirements for amendments.

The proposal has continued to generate national debate, with supporters arguing that state police would improve intelligence gathering, community policing and rapid response to security threats, while critics have expressed concerns about the potential misuse of state-controlled police forces by political officeholders.

Further details are expected as deliberations on the bill commence in the Senate.