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…Bill Scales Second Reading At Senate
ABUJA – The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the long-awaited State Police Bill, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to reform its security architecture and address the country’s worsening security challenges.
The landmark constitutional amendment bill, which seeks to establish state police formations alongside the existing federal police structure, secured over whelming support from lawmakers during plenary presided over by Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
The bill, titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,’ was considered and approved at the Committee of the Whole following the presentation of the report by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Its passage comes amid mounting public concern over rising incidents of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across different parts of the country, with growing calls for a more decentralised and responsive policing system.
Before voting commenced, the House considered the various clauses of the proposed amendment. However, the process witnessed a brief moment of tension when a member representing Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Bashir Zubairu, raised a point of order, arguing that lawmakers had only received copies of the committee’s report shortly before plenary and therefore required more time to study the document.
According to him, “This document was only made available to lawmakers in the chambers, and we are yet to go through it. We cannot do justice to it because we have not gone through it.”
The speaker, however, ruled the objection out of order, allowing the House to proceed with consideration of the bill.
While clause-by-clause consideration was ongoing, some lawmakers repeatedly sought to raise points of order, but Abbas directed proceedings to continue.
The speaker subsequently informed members that the electronic voting system was unavailable, necessitating a manual voting process based on attendance in the chamber.
At the conclusion of the exercise, 289 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while one member voted against it. The speaker abstained from voting, in keeping with parliamentary convention.
The overwhelming support underscored the broad bipartisan consensus that the current centralised policing system requires reform to better tackle the country’s security challenges.
The proposed amendment seeks to fundamentally restructure Nigeria’s policing architecture by formally establishing both federal police and state police formations.
Under the bill, the National Assembly will retain responsibility for prescribing the structure, organisation, administration and powers of the federal police, while also setting minimum standards for the establishment and operation of state police services.
The legislation provides that no state police force shall commence operations unless it is established through a law enacted by the relevant state House of Assembly and certified as meeting nationally prescribed standards.
It further stipulates that until a state police formation becomes operational, the federal police shall continue to exercise policing responsibilities within the state concerned.
To prevent abuse and ensure institutional balance, the bill also outlines circumstances under which the federal police may intervene in the affairs of a state police force, including situations involving a complete breakdown of law and order, requests by a state governor, or cases where a state police formation becomes incapable of carrying out its duties.
The amendment equally introduces changes to the appointment and command structure of the police.
Under its provisions, the Inspector-General of Police would be appointed by the president on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council and subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.
Similarly, state Commissioners of Police would be appointed by governors on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council and confirmed by their respective state Houses of Assembly.
Governors would also be empowered to issue lawful directives to state Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and maintenance of law and order. However, where disputes arise over the legality of such directives, the matter may be referred to the Nigeria Police Council for a final determination.
The passage of the bill by the House represents one of the most far-reaching constitutional and security reforms contemplated since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999.
State Police Bill Scales Second Reading At Senate
Meanwhile, a bill seeking to establish state police and transfer policing powers to subnational governments in order to strengthen internal security architecture across the federation on Thursday scaled through the second reading at the Senate.
The bill, which enjoys broad support among all senators across political divides, was referred to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for further consideration and scrutiny.
Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, led the debate on the state police bill, highlighting the national significance of creating a state police among the dwindling power of the Nigeria Police to ensure internal stability.
Nigeria had unprecedented security challenges ranging from terrorism and violent extremism to banditry and mass abductions; farmer-herder conflicts; cultism and gang violence; armed robbery; pipeline vandalism and economic sabotage; communal clashes; and emerging cyber-enabled crimes.
Consequently, Nigerians had called for the establishment of state police, citing the inability of a centralised policing structure to adequately respond to the complex, evolving and localised security threats facing our communities.
In response to public demands, Bamidele sponsored the state police bill as one of the measures to strengthen internal security architecture across the federation.
Bamidele noted that the bill seeks to modernise Nigeria’s security architecture by establishing federal and state police structures.
He added that the new bill also defines their respective responsibilities; created State Police Service Commissions; provided oversight mechanisms; transferred policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List and strengthened cooperative federalism in security administration.
He, specifically, explained that the proposed amendment “does not weaken national unity. Rather, it strengthens the federation by enabling each level of government to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.”
Bamidele, however, acknowledged that one of the major concerns often raised against state police “is the possibility of abuse by state governments. This bill adequately addresses those concerns through several safeguards.”
The safeguards, according to Bamidele, include establishment of State Police Service Commissions; federal oversight through the Federal Police Service Commission; uniform national policing standards and legislative confirmation of senior appointments.
He also identified strengthening constitutional procedures for removal of state commissioners of police; periodic certification and review of state police operations; and federal intervention mechanisms in situations of complete breakdown of law and order as parts of the safeguards to prevent the abuse of state police by the state governments.
