By Stephen Simon
The push for decentralized policing in Nigeria has gained significant momentum after 30 state Houses of Assembly voted in favor of the constitutional amendment to establish state police, surpassing the required two-thirds majority of 24 states . Lagos, Niger, Kogi, and Ebonyi were the latest to approve the amendment on Tuesday, bringing the total to 30 out of 36 states.
The amendment, transmitted to the state assemblies on September 16, seeks to create a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police Service and state police services. With the threshold now met, the remaining steps include collating the state endorsements and transmitting the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent .
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has already submitted the draft legislation and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative review. Following this review, the proposals will undergo final consideration before being presented to the President and subsequently to the National Assembly .
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the initiative, framing it as a necessary response to Nigeria’s security challenges. Proponents argue that state police will bring law enforcement closer to communities and improve response times to local crimes, which the centralized federal system has struggled to address effectively.
However, the proposed system faces scrutiny over funding, accountability, and operational independence. Critics have raised concerns about whether state governors might abuse the new security structure for political purposes, using state police to target opponents or suppress dissent. Safeguards against such interference remain a key point of debate .
The Presidency has reportedly tasked the private sector with developing a funding model for the state police, signaling that the financial burden will not fall solely on government coffers. Details of this model, however, remain unclear, and questions persist about how under-resourced states will manage the additional costs .
While the approval by 30 assemblies represents a major milestone, the journey is not yet complete. The final legislation must still navigate the National Assembly and receive presidential assent. For advocates of state police, the end is in sight—but the devil, as always, will be in the details of implementation.
