President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
The communication, dated June 15, 2026, was read during plenary on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The proposed legislation aims to provide a constitutional framework for a dual policing system, enabling states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the federal police.
According to the President, the amendment is a critical step toward reorganizing Nigeria’s policing structure to enhance security and ensure better protection of citizens. Under the new arrangement, communities, municipalities, and local government areas would assume more active roles in policing responsibilities, thereby improving intelligence gathering and response to local security challenges.
Following the presentation, Senate President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review with instructions to report back on Wednesday. He underscored the importance of community-based security, noting that local authorities are often best positioned to identify suspicious activities and alert security agencies promptly.
“You will know when foreigners infiltrate Nigeria and alert security agencies so they can react proactively rather than reactively,” Akpabio said, expressing confidence that collaboration between the executive and legislature would ensure the success of the initiative.
Akpabio further explained that the implementation of the proposed legislation would be carried out in phases, beginning with constitutional alteration and followed by enabling Acts of Parliament. He assured lawmakers that adequate safeguards would be incorporated to ensure accountability and prevent abuse.
“We will do it in two phases—through alteration and an Act of Parliament. There will be a lot of safeguards. It is extremely important that we come tomorrow to do this important task,” he added.
The Senate President also informed members that plenary would be limited in scope due to the passing of House of Representatives member Yahaya Tongo from Gombe State. He appealed to senators to attend the next sitting, stressing the significance of the state police proposal.
“We need a minimum of two-thirds of members to vote on constitutional alterations. The issue of state police is non-partisan and cuts across geopolitical zones and interests,” Akpabio said.
This development comes just two weeks after the Senate passed an executive bill on state police for second reading. The fresh Constitution Alteration Bill transmitted by the President builds on that earlier proposal, providing the constitutional foundation required for the establishment of state police services.
The move reflects growing consensus among policymakers that Nigeria’s current centralized policing system is inadequate to address the country’s complex security challenges. By decentralizing policing powers, the government hopes to strengthen community-level security, improve response times, and enhance accountability across the federation.
