Nigeria’s Senate has approved a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police, advancing one of the country’s most significant security reforms aimed at decentralising law enforcement and strengthening responses to insecurity across the federation.
The bill secured the required legislative backing after lawmakers conducted a clause-by-clause consideration followed by manual voting, with more than two-thirds of senators supporting the proposal.
Its passage represents a major shift in Nigeria’s policing framework by creating a dual structure in which state police organisations would operate alongside the existing federal police system rather than under exclusive federal control.
Under the proposed arrangement, each state police command would be led by a Commissioner of Police appointed by the state governor and subject to confirmation by the relevant State House of Assembly, while the Nigeria Police Force at the federal level would continue under the authority of the Inspector-General of Police. Brandspur Politics understands the amendment forms part of broader constitutional reform efforts being pursued by the 10th National Assembly.
The legislation also provides governors with authority to issue lawful directives relating to public safety and maintenance of order within their jurisdictions, introducing a new layer of state involvement in security administration.
To address concerns over potential misuse of policing powers, the bill includes provisions designed to restrict politically motivated enforcement actions and prevent individuals, organisations or opposition groups from being targeted solely for expressing criticism against government authorities outside established legal processes.
Supporters of state policing have argued that a decentralised structure could improve local intelligence gathering, enhance operational responsiveness and strengthen community-based security management.
At the same time, concerns surrounding accountability, oversight and political neutrality remain central to ongoing public discussions around implementation and governance safeguards.
Although Senate approval marks a major milestone, the constitutional amendment has not yet completed the legislative process.
For the proposal to become law, it must still obtain the constitutionally required support from state Houses of Assembly and fulfil additional constitutional procedures before formal adoption.
If eventually enacted, the reform would represent one of the most consequential changes to Nigeria’s internal security architecture in decades and could redefine how policing responsibilities are shared between federal and state authorities.
