The Nigerian Senate has passed a constitutional amendment bill to establish state police, marking a major shift in how the country handles security.
Lawmakers approved the bill on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after reviewing and adopting all 26 clauses in the committee of the whole. The legislation creates a legal framework for states to run their own police services while the federal police structure remains in place.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele introduced the bill as an executive proposal from President Bola Tinubu. He called it one of the most important constitutional changes since Nigeria returned to democracy.
Bamidele said Nigeria’s current centralized police system is overwhelmed by modern threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, cybercrime, and organized crime. Under the new plan, state governments that want a police force must pass their own assembly laws and meet minimum standards set by the National Assembly.
The federal police will keep control of national issues like counter-terrorism, cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, and policing of the Federal Capital Territory. State police will handle state laws, public order, crime prevention, and protection of lives and property within their states.
To prevent misuse, the bill bars governors from ordering state police to target individuals, parties, or groups. It also bans the use of police power for partisan, ethnic, religious, or personal reasons.
Several senators voiced support with conditions. Abia South Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe said he once opposed state police but changed his mind due to worsening insecurity. He warned, however, that the Police Act must include safeguards, especially to stop a president from taking over a state police force for political reasons. He also called for constitutional guarantees on funding, paid directly to state police commissions to avoid interference.
Sokoto South Senator Aminu Tambuwal, a longtime supporter of state policing, said the move will strengthen federalism. He pointed to deadly bandit attacks in his district as proof that new approaches are needed. Tambuwal also stressed the need for safeguards against abuse by future governors.
For the amendment to become law, at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state houses of assembly must approve it before the president signs it.
