Governors Empowered to Appoint Commissioners as Senate Passes State Police Bill
The Senate on Wednesday passed the State Police Bill, a landmark constitutional amendment widely regarded as a major step toward restructuring Nigeria’s policing system and addressing persistent security challenges across the country.
The bill, officially 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 Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1055),” was approved during plenary following consideration by the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The proposed legislation seeks to decentralise policing by creating state-controlled police services alongside the existing federal policing structure. Under the new framework, state governments will have the authority to establish and manage their respective police formations, including the appointment of State Police Commissioners, subject to constitutional and regulatory provisions.
The bill outlines a clear division of responsibilities between federal and state law enforcement agencies. While the Federal Police Service will retain jurisdiction over federal offences, national security matters, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), interstate crimes, terrorism, organised criminal activities, and other issues of national concern, state police formations will primarily be responsible for maintaining law and order within their respective states.
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Lawmakers who supported the legislation argued that Nigeria’s evolving security threats—including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal conflicts, and other violent crimes—have exposed the limitations of a highly centralised policing system. They maintained that state police would enhance intelligence gathering, improve rapid response capabilities, and strengthen community-based policing initiatives.
Several senators noted that local law enforcement agencies are better positioned to understand the unique security dynamics, cultural realities, and geographical peculiarities of their states, thereby enabling more effective crime prevention and response strategies.
The passage of the bill follows years of national debate over the desirability of state policing, with proponents advocating decentralisation as a practical solution to insecurity, while opponents have raised concerns over potential political interference, abuse of power, and the possible misuse of state police by governors against political opponents.
To address such concerns, the bill is expected to include oversight mechanisms, operational guidelines, and safeguards aimed at ensuring professionalism, accountability, respect for human rights, and effective coordination between federal and state security agencies.
The Senate’s approval represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s constitutional reform process. However, for the proposal to become law, it must secure concurrence from the House of Representatives and obtain the endorsement of at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly before receiving presidential assent.
If eventually enacted, the legislation would constitute one of the most far-reaching reforms of Nigeria’s security architecture since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Further details of the bill’s provisions are expected to emerge as the legislative process progresses.Alternative headlines:
By PRNigeria
