President Bola Tinubu has formally requested that the House of Representatives begin consideration of a constitutional amendment bill that would pave the way for the establishment of state police, signalling a renewed push by the executive to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system.
The proposal, transmitted to the House in a letter dated 15 June and addressed to Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal basis for establishing state police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
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The President urged lawmakers to accord the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, expedited legislative consideration, describing it as a major pillar of his administration’s efforts to reform the country’s security architecture.
Mr Tinubu stated that the bill is designed to establish “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services” as part of measures to improve Nigeria’s capacity to tackle its growing security challenges.
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He noted that the proposal builds on significant previous legislative efforts by the House of Representatives on the issue, whilst introducing additional safeguards to ensure that a dual policing structure operates effectively.
“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.
Further describing the proposed legislation as a critical component of his administration’s broader strategy to strengthen national security, the President expressed confidence that lawmakers would give the bill prompt attention.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to protect our citizens better, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he wrote.
If enacted, the amendment would introduce a constitutional framework that would allow both the federal and state governments to operate separate but constitutionally recognised police services, ending Nigeria’s long-standing exclusive federal policing structure. Renewed push for decentralised policing
This latest proposal represents one of the strongest executive-backed attempts to secure constitutional recognition for state police since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
Under the current constitutional arrangement, policing is exclusively vested in the Nigeria Police Force, which the federal government controls. However, worsening insecurity across different parts of the country has fuelled growing calls for the decentralisation of policing.
Over the years, state governors, security experts, and constitutional reform advocates have argued that the centralised police structure has become overstretched in responding to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, and other violent crimes.
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The campaign for state police has also gained momentum as several states have established regional security outfits—including Amotekun in the South-west, Ebube Agu in parts of the South-east, and various community-based vigilante groups—to complement federal security agencies, despite these outfits lacking constitutional policing powers.
The House of Representatives has previously considered several constitutional amendment proposals on state police through its Constitution Review Committee, but none have completed the amendment process.
For the proposal to become law, it must secure the approval of at least two-thirds of members of both chambers of the National Assembly before being ratified by no fewer than 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
