Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigerian Senate has passed the landmark Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, approving a sweeping constitutional amendment that establishes state police services across the federation while embedding unprecedented safeguards explicitly designed to prevent governors from weaponising the new security apparatus for partisan, ethnic, religious, or personal vendettas. The bill, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, was fast-tracked through first, second and third readings in a single day following a coordinated push by the executive and Senate leadership. It now moves to the House of Representatives for concurrence, after which it will require presidential assent and ratification by at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before becoming law.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who led the debate, described the proposal as one of the most consequential constitutional reforms in Nigeria's democratic history. He argued that the current centralised policing structure, created by the 1999 Constitution, had become dangerously overstretched and ill-equipped to address the diverse security threats facing the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence, farmer-herder clashes, and organised crime. With 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, each with distinct cultures, terrains, and socio-economic realities, a one-size-fits-all approach to policing can no longer deliver optimal results.
The core of the legislation lies in its carefully constructed safeguards. Under the bill, governors are expressly prohibited from directing state police authorities to arrest, investigate, detain, deploy force against, or target any named individual, political party, association, or group outside the provisions of the law. Governors may only issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature relating to the maintenance of public safety and public order. Crucially, the bill explicitly bars state police from engaging in partisan, ethnic, religious, or sectional persecution. Section 17(7) of the proposed amendment states that "a state Commissioner of Police shall not arrest, detain, investigate or deploy force against any person, political party or group merely for criticising the government except in accordance with the law". This provision is intended to prevent state police from being weaponised against political opponents, activists, journalists, or dissenting voices.
The bill also preserves extensive federal oversight and emergency intervention powers. The Federal Police Service, which will replace the current Nigeria Police Force, retains the authority to intervene in the internal security affairs of any state under clearly defined circumstances: an actual or imminent breakdown of public order; the inability of a state police service to function effectively; threats to national security; evidence of serious human rights abuses; partisan intimidation; or unlawful conduct by state policing authorities. Such intervention can only be authorised in writing by the President, is limited in scope and duration, subject to Senate oversight, and open to judicial review. This framework, Bamidele explained, "seeks to balance local policing autonomy with national cohesion, accountability with operational effectiveness, and federal oversight with state responsibility".
Under the new structure, the Federal Police Service will assume responsibility for protecting federal institutions, counter-terrorism, cybercrime, arms trafficking, organised crime, interstate offences, border security, and policing of the Federal Capital Territory. State police services, on the other hand, will enforce state laws, maintain public order, prevent and detect crimes within their jurisdictions, and protect lives and property. No state police service can commence operations until it has been established by a law enacted by the relevant State House of Assembly and certified as meeting national minimum standards prescribed by the National Assembly.
The Senate's passage of the bill followed a rigorous clause-by-clause consideration and a manual voting process, after the electronic voting system developed technical glitches. Senate President Godswill Akpabio backed the decision to resort to open manual voting, insisting it would not only guarantee full participation but also promote transparency by allowing Nigerians to know where their representatives stood on the historic amendment. More than two-thirds of senators voted in favour of the proposal. Senior government officials, including the Governors of Kaduna, Ogun, and Ondo States, and Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, witnessed the proceedings from the floor of the Senate.
Several lawmakers who had previously opposed state policing voiced support for the bill, citing the worsening security situation. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, acknowledged that he had initially resisted the idea but now believed the prevailing security challenges made it unavoidable. Former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal said he had consistently supported the establishment of state police, while Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno urged broader support for the amendment to help respond decisively to security threats at the subnational level. Senator Bamidele stressed that the bill "provides robust safeguards against abuse, preserves federal authority where necessary, protects constitutional rights, and creates a modern policing framework capable of addressing contemporary security challenges".
For now, Nigeria stands on the cusp of its most significant security reform since the return to democracy in 1999. The bill's passage in the Senate marks a critical milestone, but the journey is far from complete. As the legislation moves to the House of Representatives and then to the state assemblies, the debate over the balance between local autonomy and federal oversight will continue. What is clear, however, is that the Senate has drawn a firm line: state police will not be a tool for tyranny, and any governor who dares to cross that line will face the full weight of constitutional safeguards, judicial review, and federal intervention.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments