By Deborah Nnamdi
The Senate on Wednesday took a major step toward restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture by passing the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police for a second reading, while introducing stringent safeguards aimed at preventing abuse by governors and other political actors.
The proposed constitutional amendment, considered during plenary in Abuja, seeks to create a dual policing system that will allow states to establish their own police services alongside the existing federal police structure.
To fast-track consideration of the executive bill, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion for the suspension of Senate rules. Leading the debate, he said the legislation was designed to strengthen community policing, improve intelligence gathering, and enhance responses to emerging security threats across the country.
Bamidele explained that the bill provides constitutional backing for state police while retaining a strong federal police system, national policing standards, accountability mechanisms, and protections against abuse. He added that independent State Police Service Commissions would be established to ensure professionalism and oversight.
Addressing concerns over the potential misuse of state police by governors, the bill expressly prohibits any state authority from directing a police service to unlawfully target individuals, political parties, groups, or associations. It also bars the use of police powers for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional, or personal interests.
The legislation further empowers the Federal Government to intervene in exceptional circumstances, including breakdowns of public order, widespread violations of fundamental rights, partisan intimidation, operational failure of a state police service, or threats to national security. Such an intervention would require written authorisation from the President, who must notify relevant authorities, including the governor, state assembly speaker, National Police Council, and National Assembly, within 48 hours.
To ensure uniform standards nationwide, the bill authorises the National Assembly to set minimum requirements for recruitment, training, promotion, discipline, vetting procedures, use of force, and firearms management for both federal and state police institutions.
Senators across party lines expressed support for the proposal. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said the country’s worsening security challenges required innovative solutions but stressed the need for constitutional guarantees on funding, oversight, and institutional independence.
Former Sokoto State Governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, described state police as a critical step toward deepening federalism and addressing persistent insecurity, while calling for stronger safeguards to protect citizens’ rights.
Senator Mohammed Monguno also backed the bill, arguing that the existence of various community-based security structures across the country highlighted the need for a formal state policing framework.
The bill replaces the current constitutional provision that recognises only the Nigeria Police Force with a structure comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services for states that choose to establish them. However, lawmakers clarified that the passage of the amendment would not automatically create state police formations nationwide. States interested in establishing their own police services would be required to enact enabling laws and meet national standards before receiving approval.
Under the proposed arrangement, the Federal Police Service will retain exclusive responsibility for protecting federal institutions, policing the Federal Capital Territory, counter-terrorism operations, organised crime investigations, cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, and other offences with national security implications.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the bill as a significant response to Nigeria’s growing security challenges, saying it reflected increasing calls for innovative and sustainable solutions to insecurity. He also noted that the presence of governors, attorneys-general, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and other senior government officials during the debate underscored the importance of the proposed reform and demonstrated transparency in the legislative process.
Following overwhelming support during the debate, the Senate referred the bill for further legislative consideration. The proposed constitutional amendment will eventually require harmonisation with the version passed by the House of Representatives and approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can become part of the Constitution.
