The National Assembly on Thursday took a significant step in the quest for the establishment of State Police as both the Senate and House of Representatives demonstrated sufficient eagerness to amend the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the decentralisation of policing in the country.

This is as the House of Representatives passed the proposed legislation amid worsening security challenges across the country. The passing of the bill was sequel to voting by 290 out of the 360 members who attended the plenary.

The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, announced to lawmakers that a faulty electronic system would not permit voting by electronic means and thereafter urged all members in the chamber to register their presence for the exercise.

The bill, sponsored by Kalu and 14 other lawmakers, passed second reading on February 20, 2024.

The proposed legislation seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby empowering states to establish and control their own police formations.

To achieve this, the proposed legislation seeks amendments to Sections 197, 214 and 215, among others, of the 1999 Constitution.

Speaking at the end of voting, Mr Abbas said, “In attendance for the exercise are 290 members, out of which 289 voted in favour of state police. One member voted against, and there’s no nay vote.”

Before the commencement of voting, attendance was verified and confirmed at 290 members, satisfying the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds quorum of the 360-member House.

The bill, which contains 18 clauses, amended Sections 214–216 and other relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As amended), was read for the Third Time and subsequently passed by the House. As a key component of the ongoing constitutional review process, it was prioritised for consideration and passage, while voting on other constitution alteration bills was deferred.

Speaking at the end of the exercise, Abbas said security is the foundation upon which every other aspiration of nationhood rests, stressing that “By passing this bill, the House has taken a decisive constitutional step towards creating a policing framework that is more responsive to local realities while remaining firmly anchored within the unity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he stated.

Drama

Shortly before the commencement of voting, a mild drama played out when the member representing Birnin Gwari/Giwa Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Bashir Zubairu Usman, raised a Point of Order. Granted the floor to speak, the African Democratic Congress lawmaker noted that the amendment to the 1999 Constitution, which the lawmakers were set to vote on, was only made available to them on Thursday.

“Mr Speaker, this document was only made available to lawmakers in the chamber today (Thursday), and we have yet to go through it. We cannot do justice to it because we have not gone through it,” he protested, but Abbas ruled him out of order, to the approval of the majority of the lawmakers present at plenary.

While Abbas was reading out the synopsis of the bill through Clauses one-18, loud voices screaming “Point of Order” could be heard from lawmakers, but the Speaker ignored them all.

Second reading

In the Senate, the bill passed second reading, marking a significant step in the parliament’s ongoing efforts to address the nation’s worsening security challenges.

The proposed legislation, which enjoys broad support across party lines in the Red Chamber, was subsequently referred by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for further legislative scrutiny.

Leading the debate, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, described the establishment of state police as a critical reform aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture amid growing concerns over the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to effectively tackle emerging threats.

He said, “The establishment of state police will improve intelligence gathering: Local police officers are better equipped to obtain actionable intelligence from communities because they understand local languages, customs and social structures.

“Modern policing relies heavily on intelligence rather than force. State police will significantly strengthen Nigeria’s intelligence architecture.”

Bamidele noted that Nigeria continues to grapple with a wide range of security challenges, including terrorism and violent extremism, banditry, mass abductions, farmer-herder conflicts, cultism, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, communal clashes and cyber-enabled crimes.

According to him, the increasing complexity and localised nature of these threats have fuelled public calls for the creation of state police, as many Nigerians believe the country’s centralised policing structure can no longer adequately respond to security realities across the federation.

Responding to these concerns, the Ekiti lawmaker said he sponsored the bill as part of broader efforts to modernise the nation’s security framework and strengthen cooperative federalism.

He explained that the proposed amendment seeks to establish both federal and state police structures, clearly define their responsibilities, create State Police Service Commissions, provide oversight mechanisms, transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, and enhance collaboration among different levels of government.

The Senate Leader stressed that the proposal was not intended to undermine national unity.

He said the proposed amendment “does not weaken national unity. Rather, it strengthens the Federation by enabling each level of government to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.”

Addressing concerns that state governors could abuse control of state police formations, Bamidele argued that the bill contains sufficient safeguards to prevent such excesses.

He noted that one of the major concerns often raised against State Police “is the possibility of abuse by state governments. This Bill adequately addresses those concerns through several safeguards.”

The safeguards, he said, include the establishment of State Police Service Commissions, federal oversight through the Federal Police Service Commission, uniform national policing standards and legislative confirmation of senior appointments.

Bamidele also argued that state police would facilitate quicker responses to security threats by eliminating bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with the current centralised command structure.

“State Police formations will possess operational flexibility to respond swiftly to security incidents within their jurisdictions.

“It will promote community policing. Effective policing requires trust between law enforcement and the public. State police will foster stronger community partnerships and improve public confidence in law enforcement institutions.

“It will also relieve pressure on the Federal Police: The Federal Police currently bear responsibility for policing the entire nation. Establishing State Police will allow the Federal Police to focus on interstate crimes; terrorism; organised criminal networks; border security; cybercrime; protection of federal assets and national security operations.”

Other measures, according to him, include strengthened constitutional procedures for the removal of state commissioners of police, periodic certification and review of state police operations, and federal intervention mechanisms in situations where law and order completely break down.

Bamidele said all the safeguards “are intended to create a balanced framework that combines operational autonomy with accountability and constitutional oversight.”

Making a case for decentralised policing, the Senate Leader argued that security operations are more effective when they are community-based.

He said security “is most effective when it is local. The individuals who understand the terrain, language, culture and peculiar security dynamics of a community are often best positioned to detect criminal activities before they escalate.”

The lawmaker further maintained that state police would strengthen Nigeria’s federal system by ensuring a more equitable distribution of powers and responsibilities among different tiers of government.

“It will strengthen Nigeria’s federal structure. Nigeria operates a federal system of government. Under a true federation, powers and responsibilities should be appropriately shared among different levels of government.

“Most mature federations maintain sub-national police institutions alongside federal law enforcement agencies,” he said.

Drawing comparisons with other federations, Bamidele noted that several countries successfully operate multi-layered policing systems.

He cited the examples of the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, where federal and subnational police structures coexist.

“In Australia, each state maintains its own police force while the Federal Government retains national policing responsibilities. In Germany, state police services operate alongside federal security agencies. As such, Nigeria should not remain an exception among federal systems,” he pointed out.

Following the lead debate, several senators, particularly from the northern region, spoke in support of the bill, arguing that state police would provide a more sustainable solution to the country’s security crisis.

Contributing to the debate, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, expressed strong support for the proposal, saying it would help regulate the growing number of vigilante groups operating across the country.

“The bill will provide a legal framework for the establishment and operation of state police, enabling them to effectively discharge their responsibilities while ensuring proper regulation and accountability,” Monguno noted.

The push for state police has remained one of the most contentious constitutional reform issues in Nigeria, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing would improve security response and intelligence gathering, while opponents warn that it could be abused by state governments for political purposes.

Thursday’s debate, however, signalled growing legislative consensus in favour of the proposal as the country continues to battle persistent insecurity.

Key provisions: Reps replace PSC with Federal Police Service Commission

One of the key highlights of the amendment is the alteration of Section 84 in sub-section 4 of the Constitution with the substitution of the Police Service Commission with the Federal Police Service Commission. Similarly, the Nigeria Police Council was also replaced with the National Police Council.

In the same vein, the words “Nigeria Police Force” are substituted for “Federal Police and State Police.”

Federal v State Police

Clause 12 of the bill amended Section 214 by providing a new Section 214 to establish the federal police and state police.

214 (2) of the amended bill reads, “The National Assembly shall by an Act prescribe for the structure, organisation, administration and powers of the Federal Police and provide the framework and guidelines for the establishment of State Police.”

(3) “No State Police shall commence operational policing unless it has been established by a Law of the House of Assembly of the State and certified as meeting national minimum standards in the manner prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.”

The amended bill also provides that “Unless and until a State Police commence operational policing under subsection (3) of this section, the Federal Police shall continue to perform policing functions in that State; and after such commencement, the Federal Police shall continue to perform federal policing functions and may provide assistance to the State Police in accordance with law.”

Specifically, the proposed law provides that the Federal Police shall “Be responsible for the maintenance of public security, preservation of public order and security of persons and property throughout the Federation to the extent provided for under this Constitution or by an Act of the National Assembly; and be responsible for the maintenance of public security, preservation of public order and security of persons and property within a State to the extent that the State has power to make laws under this Constitution.”

In Sub-Section 6, the bill reserves certain operational duties for the State Police.

It reads, “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Federal Police shall not interfere with the operations of any State Police of the internal security affairs of a State except to contain serious threats to public order where it is shown that there is a complete breakdown of law and order within a State and the State Police is unable to contain the threat,” or “Where the Governor of a State requests the intervention of the Federal Police to prevent or contain a breakdown of law and order in the State.”

The Federal Police may also intervene “Where a State Police is unable to function owing to administrative, financial or other problems which render it inoperative at the time.”

The Federal Capital Territory

The bill places the FCT within the territorial jurisdiction of the Federal Police, as it provides that “The Federal Police shall establish and maintain such commands, formations, departments and operational units within the Federal Capital Territory as may be necessary for the effective discharge of its functions.

Inspector General of Police V Commissioner of Police of a State

Clause 13 of the amended bill altered Section 215 with a new Section to read, “The Federal Police shall be headed by an Inspector-General of Police who shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the National Police Council from among serving members of the Federal Police, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.

“The Federal Police shall be under the command of the Inspector-General of Police, including contingents of the Federal Police stationed in a State.

“The President or such other Minister of the Government of the Federation as he may authorise in that behalf may give to the Inspector-General of Police such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary, and the Inspector-General of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.”

On the other hand, “A State Police shall be headed by a Commissioner of Police who shall be appointed by the Governor of the State on the advice of the National Police Council from among serving members of the State Police, subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly.

“The Governor or such other Commissioner of the Government of the State as he may authorise in that behalf may give to the Commissioner of Police such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and order as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.

“Provided that where the Commissioner of Police feels that the direction given under this subsection is unlawful or contradicts general policing standards or practice, he may request that the matter be referred to the National Police Council for review and the decision of the National Police Council shall be final.”

Dismissal of IGP, State Police Commissioner

A new Section 216 proposes that “An Inspector General of Police shall be removed by the President upon the recommendation of the National Police Council praying that he be so removed on any of the following grounds -grave misconduct in the discharge of his official duties; breach of Police Act, Regulation, Code and Code of Conduct; conviction of any offence involving fraud or dishonesty by a court of law or tribunal; bankruptcy; or mental incapacity.”

Such a removal, according to the proposed law, shall be subject to approval by a resolution of a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly.

A Commissioner of Police of a State, on the other hand, “Shall only be removed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the National Police Council praying that he be so removed on any of the following grounds: grave misconduct in the performance of his official duties; breach of policing standards, law, regulation, code and code of conduct.”

Others are “Conviction of any offence involving fraud or dishonesty by a court of law or tribunal; bankruptcy or mental incapacity.”

Nigeria’s arms imports surge 48% to N32.5bn in Q1 202

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s expenditure on arms importation rose sharply to N32.5bn in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

The figure represents a significant increase from the N22bn recorded in the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting a N10.5bn rise, or 48 per cent year-on-year growth.

The NBS report, which tracked arms importation activities during the review period, indicates a continued rise in defence-related imports amid ongoing security operations across parts of the country.

Although the report did not provide detailed breakdowns of the categories of arms imported, the increase reflects Nigeria’s growing security expenditure as the government intensifies efforts to combat insurgency, banditry, and other violent crimes.

Reacting, a security analyst, Chidi Omeje, said the surge in formal arms importation was a logical response to what he described as multifaceted security challenges spreading across every geopolitical zone of the country.

“One would have expected even more — more importation of arms, more importation of equipment and platforms. Between last year and now, there is a significant increase in the multifaceted security challenges across the country, meaning that there is actually a need for more of these arms and ammunition to be in the hands of the state.

“Every part of the country is assailed by one level of insecurity or another,” he said.

The analyst called for a comprehensive approach to securing the country, urging authorities to invest not only in weapons procurement but also in training, personnel deployment and surveillance capabilities.

“We have to spend even more, train people, put more boots on the ground, put more eyes in the sky and still in the water to make sure that we take hold of our sovereignty,” he said.

On concerns about Nigeria’s weak domestic arms production capacity, Omeje acknowledged the gap but argued it could not be allowed to delay urgent security needs.

He called on the government to simultaneously address immediate procurement requirements while investing in local manufacturers such as the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria.

“We can’t wait until DICON begins to mass produce. But at the same time, I fully expect that there is a focus on increasing the capacity of DICON and any other local production factories, maybe even in the private sector,” he said.

Retired AIG, CP back initiative, ex-CP rejects proposal

A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Ali Amodu, expressed support for the establishment of state police, urging lawmakers to support its creation as part of efforts to address rising insecurity in the country.

Amodu said the legislature should not hesitate to approve the decentralisation of policing, insisting that the benefits outweigh the challenges.

“My advice to them is to go ahead in voting in favour of the establishment. My view is they should go ahead to vote in favour of the establishment of state police,” he said.

The retired police boss recalled that he had advocated decentralisation of policing decades ago, adding that similar systems had worked in other countries despite initial concerns.

“I don’t know whether I spoke with you that far back as 1981, when I came back from the United Kingdom, I had written a memo to the Force for decentralisation of the police,” he said.

He argued that while challenges are expected, Nigeria must be willing to test the system to determine its effectiveness.

On his part, retired Commissioner of Police Lawrence Alobi urged the National Assembly to ensure broad consultation with stakeholders, warning against politicising the process.

“The National Assembly should not just make it like a secret something. Let them involve all stakeholders, like some of us who are retired, experienced police officers, not politicians.

“It should not be a political jamboree,” he warned.

Taking a different position, retired Commissioner of Police, Ladodo Rabiu, opposed the establishment of state police, citing financial, operational and constitutional concerns.

“I am not supporting state police for certain categorical reasons. “One, the Federal Government is finding it difficult to finance the Nigerian Police. Now what of states? Some states cannot even pay the salaries of civil servants.

“Police is not a revenue-generating organisation. Everything is money—the arms, ammunition, logistics,” he said.

Rabiu also argued that states lack the capacity to establish training institutions and the infrastructure required for policing.

“The state government cannot buy arms and ammunition. Training institutions are with the Federal Government. Are you telling me each state will establish police colleges in say, Ikeja, Enugu, Kaduna and others?” he queried.

He further warned of possible jurisdictional clashes between federal and state police formations during operations.

“There will be clashes between state and federal police. If federal police are operating in a state, there will be conflict over jurisdiction,” he said.

State police best path to safer environment – Security Adviser

The Special Adviser to the Sokoto State Governor on Security Matters, Col Ahmed Usman (retd) has described state police as one of the most effective solutions to Nigeria’s growing security challenges, urging policymakers to adopt a practical framework that leverages existing personnel and structures.

He said, “State police remain a viable solution to Nigeria’s security challenges. It will enhance intelligence gathering, improve response time, and strengthen community-based policing,” he said.

Rather than embarking on large-scale recruitment, the retired military officer proposed the redeployment of serving police officers to their states of origin, arguing that their familiarity with local languages, cultures, terrain, and security dynamics would make policing more effective.

“Officers serving across the country should be redeployed to their states of origin, where they already understand the environment and the people. That knowledge is critical to effective policing and intelligence gathering,” he stated.

•PHOTO:Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. CREDIT: National Assembly/X

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