By Stephen Simon
President Bola Tinubu has urged the House of Representatives to accord accelerated consideration to a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across the country, describing the proposal as a key pillar of his administration’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture and tackle rising insecurity.
The proposal, transmitted to the House in a letter addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for the establishment of state police services to operate alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force. The President said the measure is designed to improve the country’s capacity to respond to evolving security challenges.
Tinubu noted that the executive bill builds on previous legislative work undertaken by the National Assembly but introduces additional safeguards to ensure that a dual policing structure functions effectively and remains accountable. He expressed confidence that lawmakers would give the proposal speedy consideration in the interest of national security.
Following the President’s request, the House of Representatives rescinded its earlier consideration of a similar constitutional amendment bill to enable members to begin fresh deliberations on the revised executive proposal. Lawmakers explained that the move was necessary to ensure the new framework adequately reflects the country’s security needs and incorporates the latest recommendations.
The renewed push comes amid growing calls for decentralised policing as Nigeria continues to battle insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other violent crimes across different parts of the country. Supporters of state police argue that locally controlled police forces would improve intelligence gathering, shorten response times and enhance community policing.
However, the proposal has continued to generate debate among stakeholders. While many governors, security experts and professional bodies have backed the initiative, critics have warned that state police could be abused by political office holders if adequate constitutional safeguards and oversight mechanisms are not put in place.
If eventually approved by the National Assembly and ratified by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly, the constitutional amendment would represent one of the most far-reaching reforms of Nigeria’s policing system since independence, paving the way for the country’s 36 states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the federal police.
