Tinubu sends state police bill to Reps for constitutional amendment
President Tinubu has transmitted a constitutional amendment bill to the House of Representatives to pave the way for the establishment of state police services.
President Bola Tinubu has asked the House of Representatives to amend the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the establishment of state police services, describing the proposal as a critical step towards reorganising Nigeria’s security architecture to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the president transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, for legislative consideration. Tinubu said the proposed amendment seeks to create a constitutional pathway for establishing state police services, noting that it builds on the work already undertaken by the House of Representatives on the issue.
According to him, the bill also incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure is implemented “quickly and effectively” for the benefit of Nigerians. “The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens,” the president said. He expressed confidence that the House would expedite consideration and passage of the bill.
The renewed push comes amid sustained calls by governors, security experts and other stakeholders for the creation of state police as a means of tackling rising insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across the country. If passed by the National Assembly and approved by the required number of state Houses of Assembly, the amendment will provide the constitutional basis for states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The proposal represents a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to security. For decades, policing has been a federal responsibility, with state governors having little control over the police forces operating in their territories. The result has been a security architecture that is often slow to respond to local threats and unaccountable to the communities it is meant to protect.
This echoes the 2010s debates over state policing, which gained momentum following the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a recognition that the federal police force cannot effectively secure the entire country. The question is whether this time the amendment will pass.
The winners: state governors, who would gain control over policing; the Nigerian public, which may benefit from more responsive security; and the President, who can claim progress on security reform. The losers: the Nigeria Police Force, which would lose its monopoly, and states that lack the resources to fund their own police services.
Bottom Line: Tinubu has sent the state police bill to the House. The debate is no longer about whether Nigeria needs state police. It is about whether the bill will pass. The answer will determine the future of Nigerian security.