By Ahmed Akanbi
The Senate on Thursday approved the second reading of a bill seeking to establish state police and devolve policing powers to subnational governments across Nigeria.
The legislation is designed to overhaul Nigeria’s internal security framework by creating distinct Federal and State Police structures with clearly defined mandates.
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, referred the bill to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for detailed consideration, following broad bipartisan support from lawmakers.
Leading the debate, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said the bill addresses the growing strain on the Nigeria Police Force and its limited capacity to guarantee internal stability nationwide.
Bamidele listed Nigeria’s current security threats, which include terrorism, violent extremism, banditry, mass kidnappings, farmer-herder clashes, cult violence, armed robbery, pipeline sabotage, communal conflicts, and cyber-related crimes.
He said these challenges have intensified public calls for state police, with many Nigerians arguing that a centralised policing model cannot effectively tackle complex, localised threats.
Responding to those demands, Bamidele sponsored the bill as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s security architecture and bring law enforcement closer to communities.
Under the proposal, policing will move from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing states to create their own police services.
The bill also provides for the creation of State Police Service Commissions, sets out responsibilities for federal and state forces, and introduces oversight mechanisms for accountability.
Bamidele maintained that the amendment would not undermine national unity, but instead strengthen the federation by enabling each tier of government to fulfil its constitutional duties.
He acknowledged concerns that state governors might misuse state police, but insisted the bill contains sufficient safeguards to prevent abuse.
Those safeguards include federal oversight through a Federal Police Service Commission, uniform national policing standards, and the requirement for legislative confirmation of senior state police appointments.
Additional checks proposed are constitutional procedures for removing state commissioners of police, periodic reviews of state police operations, and provisions for federal intervention during a total breakdown of law and order.
Bamidele argued that “security is most effective when it is local,” noting that state police will improve intelligence gathering, enable faster emergency response, deepen community policing, and allow the Federal Police to focus on interstate crime, terrorism, and border security.
After the lead debate, several senators, predominantly from the North, backed the bill, with Chief Whip Senator Tahir Monguno saying it would create a legal framework to regulate vigilante groups and ensure proper accountability in state-level policing.