President Bola Tinubu has formally transmitted the State Police Bill to the Senate, setting the stage for what could be the most significant overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture since 1999.

The bill, titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026”, was read for the first time during Tuesday’s plenary and immediately referred to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for accelerated consideration.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who read the President’s communication to lawmakers, said the proposed amendment addresses longstanding concerns over Nigeria’s centralised policing system.

The bill seeks to establish a framework for state-controlled police services to operate alongside the federal police.

Akpabio said President Tinubu considers the legislation crucial to restructuring the nation’s security framework and has urged the National Assembly to give it speedy consideration.

The Senate President disclosed that the upper chamber will streamline the legislative process to ensure the bill is transmitted to state Houses of Assembly as quickly as possible. He urged state legislatures to act promptly once they receive it.

According to Akpabio, the proposal builds on previous work by both chambers of the National Assembly and contains safeguards for a dual policing structure comprising federal and state police services.

Advocates argue that decentralising law enforcement will make security operations more proactive, effective and responsive to local realities.

Akpabio said bringing policing closer to communities, local government areas and municipalities will encourage greater citizen participation in security efforts and improve intelligence gathering.

He added that locally based police formations will be better positioned to identify criminal elements and prevent infiltration by external actors because residents are more familiar with individuals in their communities.

“The objective is to move from a reactive security system to one that promotes early detection and proactive response to security threats,” he said.

Following its first reading, the bill was referred to the Constitution Review Committee with a directive to report back within days.

Senators are expected to consider the committee’s recommendations collectively before taking a final decision.

Akpabio commended members of the Constitution Review Committee for nearly two years of work on the proposal, describing it as a critical component of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security sector.

Lawmakers linked the urgency of the bill to persistent security challenges nationwide, expressing optimism that it could strengthen efforts to combat insurgency, kidnapping and other violent crimes.