Insecurity: As 30 State Houses of Assembly Okay State Police…

With 30 State Houses of Assembly endorsing state police, Nigeria moves closer to decentralised policing. But constitutional approval, operational legislation, funding, safeguards and implementation challenges remain critical to success, writes Sunday Aborisade. Nigeria’s decades-long debate over the establishment of state police appears to be approaching a decisive turning point, following the endorsement of the proposed constitutional amendment by no fewer than 30 State Houses of Assembly. The development, announced by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, represents a significant milestone in efforts to decentralise the country’s security architecture and introduce a policing arrangement that allows state governments to establish their own police services alongside the existing federal structure. For a country grappling with banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal conflicts and other violent crimes, the proposed reform has far-reaching implications for national security, federalism and the protection of lives and property. However, beyond the excitement generated by the legislative breakthrough, Nigerians must understand two separate but interconnected initiatives: the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to provide constitutional authority for state police, and the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026, which will establish the operational, administrative and regulatory framework. While the former provides the constitutional foundation, the latter prescribes the institutional arrangements, standards and safeguards required to implement the reform. This distinction is important because approval of the constitutional amendment does not automatically authorise governors to recruit police officers, establish commands or commence independent policing operations. Advocates of state police have consistently argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure has become inadequate for a federation of its size, population and security complexities. They maintain that a single national police organisation cannot always respond effectively to the peculiar security challenges confronting communities across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. State governments, being closer to their communities, are considered better positioned to identify local threats, understand the terrain, communicate in indigenous languages and develop intelligence networks capable of preventing criminal activities. Opponents, however, fear that governors could turn state police formations into instruments of political intimidation, persecution of opponents and suppression of dissent. Others question the financial capacity of several states to maintain properly equipped and professionally trained police organisations. Despite these concerns, the National Assembly has taken the process considerably further. The Senate passed the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill on June 24, 2026, while the House of Representatives approved it on July 23. Following the passage by both chambers, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, transmitted the proposal to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration and approval. Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, an alteration requires resolutions from not less than two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly. With 36 states, the constitutional requirement is 24. On October 23, the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced that the required threshold had been achieved. Six days later, on October 29, Bamidele disclosed that the National Assembly had received formal reports indicating that at least 30 state assemblies had endorsed the amendment. Although the constitutional requirement had already been satisfied upon securing 24 approvals, the additional endorsements provide a broader political foundation for the proposed reform. Bamidele, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, described the development as a historic breakthrough. He said the National Assembly intended to complete the outstanding legislative procedures and transmit the amendment to President Bola Tinubu for assent latest by December 2026. The remaining procedures include the consideration and collation of reports from the state legislatures and the passage of the necessary resolutions by both chambers before transmission to the President. The Senate Leader stressed that the proposed reform was not intended to establish state armies or weaken the Federal Government’s authority. Rather, it would create state-led, community-based policing arrangements operating within constitutional safeguards, professional standards, oversight mechanisms and human rights protections. Perhaps the most important issue in the ongoing debate is the distinction between the constitutional amendment and the National Policing Bill. The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, provides the legal authority for Nigeria to move from its existing centralised police arrangement towards a dual structure comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services. In practical terms, it removes the constitutional obstacles preventing individual states from establishing their own police organisations. The National Policing Bill, on the other hand, will provide the operational framework, including recruitment requirements, training procedures, institutional responsibilities, accountability mechanisms, funding arrangements and minimum professional standards. This means constitutional permission does not automatically translate into operational readiness. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, was established to develop the comprehensive legislative framework. On October 19, the group submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation. The proposed legislation is expected to address existing legal provisions designed around a single national police organisation that may become inconsistent with the introduction of state police services. The official National Policing Bill information portal explains that the constitutional amendment is enabling and phased. Under the proposed arrangement, a state may possess the constitutional authority to establish its police service but cannot commence operational policing until it has enacted the necessary state legislation and obtained certification that it meets the national minimum standards prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. Consequently, the constitutional amendment and the National Policing Bill must progress together. One establishes the legal foundation, while the other provides the institutional machinery for implementation. The proposed arrangement will introduce two levels of police administration: the Federal Police Service, retaining responsibility for national policing functions and federal offences, and individual State Police Services established by states that satisfy the necessary legal, administrative, operational and financial requirements. The intention is to enable state police officers to respond more directly to security threats within their jurisdictions, while federal police retain responsibilities requiring national coordination. These include terrorism, organised crime, federal offences and security challenges extending beyond individual state boundaries. The final legislation will determine the precise division of responsibilities and command structures. Cooperation will also be essential. Kidnapping incidents involving the movement of victims or suspects across state boundaries, for instance, will require coordinated operations between affected state police formations and federal security agencies. Similarly, organised criminal networks operating across several states cannot be effectively confronted without intelligence sharing, integrated criminal information management and clearly defined command responsibilities. The success of the proposed system will therefore depend on cooperation rather than competition between the different levels of policing. One of the strongest objections to state police has been the fear that governors could deploy the new institutions against political opponents, critics and democratic activities. These concerns cannot be dismissed, particularly in a political environment where relationships between state governments and opposition parties are often characterised by intense rivalry. For this reason, the proposed National Policing Bill places considerable emphasis on accountability, independent oversight, professional standards and human rights protection. Its framework identifies critical areas requiring regulation, including recruitment, vetting, training, discipline, complaints management, firearms control, financial sustainability and institutional supervision. It also envisages independent oversight arrangements and state-readiness certification before any state police service can commence operations. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, had earlier emphasised that the proposed legislation was intended to prevent state police from becoming instruments of political persecution. For the reform to enjoy public confidence, state police institutions must remain accountable to the Constitution and the law rather than the personal interests of governors or political office holders. Independent complaints mechanisms, transparent recruitment, professional discipline and judicial oversight will therefore be indispensable. Another major challenge concerns the financial implications of establishing and maintaining state police organisations. Nigeria’s 36 states have different revenue profiles, economic capacities and competing development priorities. While some may possess the resources to establish modern police formations, others could struggle to finance recruitment, training, salaries, pensions, equipment, vehicles, communication facilities and operational accommodation. Establishing a police organisation goes beyond recruiting officers and providing uniforms. It requires sustainable funding, continuous professional development, adequate equipment and institutional structures capable of maintaining acceptable operational standards. The National Policing Bill is expected to address these concerns through provisions dealing with sustainable financing, national standards and possible grant support. Importantly, states that are not immediately ready to establish their own police services are expected to continue benefiting from the Federal Police. This phased arrangement is intended to prevent the reform from creating security gaps in states that cannot immediately establish independent police formations. Nevertheless, the National Assembly must ensure that the final legislation clearly defines funding responsibilities and transparent criteria for determining when a state is financially and institutionally ready. Without such provisions, decentralised policing could create significant disparities in security capacity across the federation. Developments surrounding state police have also acquired a political dimension ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking when members of the Arewa Revival Project, a northern youth organisation with membership across the 19 northern states, visited him in Abuja, Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio expressed optimism that Nigeria could soon embrace decentralised policing. He disclosed that about 30 state assemblies had endorsed the constitutional amendment, describing the development as an important step towards improving national security. Akpabio also used the occasion to canvass support for President Tinubu’s re-election, urging the northern youths to mobilise grassroots backing for the administration. His remarks reflected the growing intersection between governance, security reforms and electoral politics as political parties and their supporters prepare for the next general election. However, the proposed establishment of state police should be treated as a national institutional reform rather than a partisan political achievement. Its ultimate success or failure will affect Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliations or the parties controlling their respective states. With the constitutional threshold achieved, attention will now shift to the outstanding legislative and executive responsibilities. First, the National Assembly must complete the collation and consideration of reports received from the State Houses of Assembly. Both chambers must then pass the necessary resolutions before transmitting the constitutional amendment to the President for assent. Bamidele has indicated that the National Assembly intends to conclude these procedures by December 2026. Second, the Presidential Working Group must complete the review and validation of the National Policing Bill and its accompanying consequential amendments before the proposed legislation undergoes the necessary executive and legislative processes. Third, the National Assembly must scrutinise the operational framework, particularly its provisions on federal and state jurisdictions, recruitment, funding, oversight, intelligence sharing, human rights and accountability. Fourth, individual states will be expected to enact enabling laws and demonstrate their readiness to establish police services. This means that even after the constitutional amendment and National Policing Act have been completed, the commencement of operations will depend on each state’s compliance with prescribed conditions. Consequently, some states may establish their police services earlier than others, depending on their financial and institutional preparedness. Interestingly, Bamidele’s address at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, went beyond the state police debate to raise another important question about the quality of lawmaking in Nigeria. He argued that the performance of the 10th National Assembly should not be judged principally by the number of bills passed into law but by their measurable impact on citizens. He cited legislation on student loans, minimum wage, taxation, social investment, electoral administration, cybercrime, insurance and regional development commissions as examples of the Assembly’s legislative interventions. The Senate Leader, however, acknowledged that good laws alone cannot guarantee good governance. Legislation, he argued, must be relevant, evidence-based, implementable, adequately funded, properly administered, effectively monitored and periodically reviewed. That argument is particularly relevant to the state police initiative. Nigeria has enacted several laws and established numerous institutions, but implementation has frequently remained a major challenge. The establishment of state police must therefore not become another constitutional milestone celebrated primarily through speeches, ceremonies and political declarations. Its real value will be determined by whether it reduces criminal activities, improves intelligence gathering, strengthens community confidence and makes the protection of lives and property more effective. The National Assembly must ensure that the final legislation establishes measurable performance standards and mechanisms for holding federal and state police authorities accountable. Governors, on their part, must demonstrate that their commitment to state police goes beyond the political attraction of controlling another security institution. Ultimately, the endorsement of the constitutional amendment by at least 30 state assemblies represents an important development in Nigeria’s search for a more responsive security architecture. But the journey is not over. The constitutional amendment must be completed, the National Policing Bill must become law, states must establish the necessary institutions and the prescribed safeguards must be enforced. For Nigerians, the central expectation is straightforward: a policing system that responds faster to emergencies, understands local security challenges, prevents crimes more effectively and protects citizens without fear or favour. The real measure of this reform will not be the number of state police commands established or officers recruited, but whether Nigerians can live, work, travel and conduct their daily activities with greater security and confidence.