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By Christiana Ekpa
In a bid to accelerate efforts to decentralize Nigeria’s security apparatus, President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a landmark bill to the House of Representatives seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish state police across the country.
The executive bill, titled Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, marks the most decisive legislative push to restructure the nation’s policing system since the return to civil rule in 1999.
In a letter dated June 15, 2026, addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, President Tinubu urged the green chamber to expedite the passage of the bill, describing decentralised policing as a vital pillar of his administration’s security reforms.
The President explained that the bill aims to establish “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services” to better counter Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, such as banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping.
He noted that the executive proposal refines previous state policing bills initiated by the House of Representatives by incorporating strict oversight measures.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” the President stated.
Nigeria currently operates a highly centralized police system under the federal government. However, escalating local security threats have forced state governors to establish regional, state-backed vigilante groups and outfits—such as Amotekun in the South-West and Ebube Agu in the South-East—to bridge security gaps.
If successfully passed by the National Assembly and ratified by at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, the bill will formally transition Nigeria into a dual policing system. This would constitutionally empower both federal and state governments to run independent police services.
While the bill promises to enhance localized intelligence gathering and rapid response times, it is expected to trigger intense legislative debates regarding funding, operational limits, and mechanisms to prevent governors from using state police as political tools.
