Nigeria’s long-running debate over state police has entered a new and more contentious phase, exposing sharp divisions among northern socio-political organisations, civil society groups and constitutional advocates over the process being adopted by the Federal Government to reform the nation’s policing architecture.

What was initially presented by the Tinubu administration as a bold step towards modernising law enforcement is now generating fresh questions about transparency, inclusiveness, legislative procedure and even allegations of hidden political and regional agendas.

The inauguration of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill last month was widely welcomed as a milestone in Nigeria’s search for a more effective policing system. If eventually enacted alongside the constitutional amendment establishing state police, the legislation could represent the most significant restructuring of law enforcement since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

For decades, policing in Nigeria has remained under a highly centralised Nigeria Police Force. The proposed reforms seek to establish a dual federal-state policing system that supporters believe would improve local security, strengthen intelligence gathering and respond more effectively to rising insecurity across the country.

But even before the Working Group produces its draft legislation, the process has become the centre of an intense national debate.

While proponents see the National Policing Bill as the long-awaited legal framework needed to make state police workable, critics warn that the process is moving too quickly and could produce legislation that fails to address concerns over political abuse, accountability, funding and federal-state relations.

Debate begins before draft bill emerges

Ironically, the controversy did not begin after the draft legislation was released. It began with the establishment of the committee itself.

Although the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill is still undergoing the rigorous constitutional amendment process requiring approval by at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly, the Presidency has already commenced drafting the law that would operationalise the new policing arrangement.

President Bola Tinubu defended the decision, insisting that implementation planning should not wait until constitutional amendments are completed.

“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly. We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment.”

To supporters, the decision reflects strategic planning that could ensure seamless implementation once the Constitution is amended.

Critics, however, fear that preparing an implementation law before the constitutional process is concluded may create inconsistencies if lawmakers eventually modify key constitutional provisions.

Consultation or mere representation?

One of the administration’s strongest arguments is that the Presidential Working Group reflects broad institutional representation.

Its membership includes representatives of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Inspector-General of Police, the Office of the National Security Adviser and several other institutions.

The committee has also invited memoranda from academics, security experts, civil society organisations, professional associations, traditional institutions and members of the public.

Yet critics insist that institutional representation alone does not guarantee meaningful public participation.

They argue that grassroots communities, women, victims of insecurity, minority groups, traditional rulers and faith-based organisations should have genuine influence over the legislation rather than merely being invited to submit memoranda.

Transparency questions grow louder

Calls for greater openness have continued to mount. The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have separately urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to publish the proposed National Policing Bill before seeking public memoranda.

RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, argued that Nigerians cannot meaningfully contribute to legislation they have not seen.

“Public consultation should begin with the publication of the draft legislation. Nigerians cannot submit useful memoranda on a bill they have not seen.” He described the proposal as one of Nigeria’s most important institutional reforms since 1999 because it would redefine policing powers, federal-state relations, accountability mechanisms and funding arrangements.

“If this state police bill is about public safety and security, then Nigerians, in whose name the bill is being proposed, should be able to study it and make informed contributions.”

Nwanguma urged the Presidential Working Group to publish both the draft National Policing Bill and the proposed constitutional amendments before wider consultations begin.

“Transparency should not be an afterthought. It should be the foundation of the process.”

The ADC raised similar concerns, questioning reports that constitutional voting thresholds in the House of Representatives were allegedly met through WhatsApp votes and by counting lawmakers who were no longer physically present in the chamber.

The party warned that constitutional amendments must strictly comply with laid-down procedures and should not be driven by expediency.

Why has reform taken so long?

The debate over state police predates the current administration.

Constitutional conferences, expert panels and the 2014 National Conference all recommended decentralised policing. Previous governments, however, resisted the idea largely because of fears that governors might misuse state police for political purposes.

The Tinubu administration argues that worsening insecurity—including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and organised crime—has made comprehensive policing reform unavoidable.

Officials also maintain that previous efforts focused almost exclusively on constitutional amendments without developing the legal framework required to make state police operational. The proposed National Policing Bill is therefore expected to address recruitment standards, funding arrangements, training, accountability systems, firearms regulation and coordination between federal and state police institutions.

Sharia council calls for caution

Among the most influential voices urging restraint is the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN). Rather than rejecting state police outright, the council insists that decentralisation should not be treated as a magic solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.

In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Nafiu Baba Ahmad, the council argued that Nigeria’s current security problems stem largely from inadequate funding, corruption, poor welfare, insufficient personnel, weak intelligence gathering and poor coordination among security agencies.

“The immediate priority should therefore be the comprehensive reform and strengthening of existing security institutions through improved funding, recruitment, modern technology, intelligence gathering, border security, accountability and professionalism.”

The council warned that merely transferring policing powers to state governments would not automatically solve these structural deficiencies. It also criticised what it described as the haste surrounding the constitutional amendment process.

According to the council, changes of such magnitude require extensive national consultations, transparent public hearings and broad consensus. The organisation further warned that without adequate constitutional safeguards, state police could become instruments of political intimidation and discrimination.

It therefore advocated independent oversight institutions, merit-based recruitment, judicial supervision, sustainable funding and constitutional safeguards before implementation.

“Without first addressing these structural deficiencies, creating state police could simply produce another policing institution without significantly improving public safety.”

Northern groups split over state police

The position of the Sharia Council has widened divisions among northern stakeholders.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) endorsed the council’s call for comprehensive reforms of the existing policing system before creating state police.

ACF National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said Nigerians had largely been excluded from meaningful participation.

“The ACF had always maintained its stance that the issue be approached with due caution and wide consultations. Everything that is coming out so far reinforces the Forum’s position. The Sharia Council’s perspective is therefore very much in order and squarely aligned with our Forum’s long-held stance.”

He described the process as rushed and lacking transparency.

“The process has been disappointingly faulty, rushed and is leaving too much to be concerned about. For the public not to be given the opportunity to provide input into the legislation is enough cause for deep concern and suspicion.”

Muhammad-Baba also questioned what he described as the urgency surrounding the reform. “Why the hurry and secrecy?”

Beyond consultation, the ACF expressed concern over the composition of the Presidential Working Group, alleging that it was dominated by members from the South-West.

“Many have noted that the Presidential Committee that drafted the bill as an Executive input was itself highly and overwhelmingly skewed in favour of the South-West in terms of membership. The question to ask is: whose agenda is the bill supposed to fulfil, national or regional?”

He also warned that inadequate scrutiny by the National Assembly would only deepen public suspicion. “That the National Assembly itself will subject the bill to anything less than rigorous interrogation raises the bar of suspicion of a hidden agenda much farther.”

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) also faulted the process while acknowledging that the country urgently requires state police.

National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, maintained that the reform should emerge through broad national consultations.

“Everyone who is discernible knows that state police is an idea whose time has come. But to set up a state police, there has to be broad-based consultations. There were no wide consultations, and now the government is in so much rush to cook up their own partisan brand of state police with no inputs from the citizens.”

He went further, alleging political motives behind the speed of the reform. “Tinubu and the National Assembly are in a mad rush to come up with the state police for political and other sinister reasons of plotting to deploy them as foot soldiers to rig the election in January 2027.”

Onwubiko also questioned the legislative drafting process.

“The copy of the bill adopted by the National Assembly was written from under the nose of President Tinubu with no contributions from the lawmakers, so it is a kind of garbage in, garbage out.”

Despite his criticisms, he agreed with the Sharia Council that federal police reforms should accompany state police creation. “The establishment of state police cannot validly happen without cleaning up the federal policing structure. That is what the legal framework setting up the state police should take care of.”

He also accused the Police Service Commission of failing to enforce discipline within the Nigeria Police Force and called for reforms that would strengthen its oversight role.

Arewa think tank backs presidency

Not all northern voices share the scepticism. Convener of the Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu, defended the Federal Government’s approach, insisting that the reform is being handled constitutionally and through extensive consultations.

“I believe the process leading to the establishment of state police is being properly handled.” According to him, the administration has deliberately prioritised consensus.

“This is a major constitutional and security reform that cannot be rushed. The Federal Government has demonstrated that it wants to build consensus by engaging the National Assembly, state governments, traditional institutions, security experts and other critical stakeholders.”

Yakubu argued that the administration appreciates the complexities of policing in a multi-ethnic federation. “The Tinubu administration understands that policing is a sensitive issue in a country as diverse as Nigeria. That is why the government has chosen consultation over confrontation and constitutional reforms over arbitrary decisions.”

Middle Belt forum wants faster action

While agreeing that consultations are not yet exhaustive, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) believes the country should not delay establishing state police. Its President, Dr Bitrus Pogu, urged the Federal Government to expedite the legal process. For him, passing the enabling law should take precedence, while discussions on implementation can continue afterwards. “What the people are after is for it to be passed into law, and then we can now go to the next talk to ensure that the structure reflects the community or the state; the diversity of the state where the police will operate.”

State police bill nears final constitutional hurdle

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, says the proposed State Police Bill has crossed the major legislative stages in the National Assembly and is now awaiting the final constitutional process before it can become law.

Speaking on the progress of the bill, the senator, who represents Plateau Central, explained to our correspondent that both chambers of the National Assembly have completed the first, second and third readings of the legislation.

“The State Police Bill has undergone first, second and third reading in both chambers of the National Assembly.”

According to him, because the proposal seeks to amend the Constitution, it was subjected to public hearings across the country’s geopolitical zones before its passage.

“Having passed the third reading, what is left is the constitutional amendment that will move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.”

Plang said the next stage is for the proposal to be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly, where it must secure the support of at least two-thirds of the states.

“At least two-thirds of the states, that is not less than 24 states, must approve it.”

Expressing confidence that the amendment would receive nationwide support, he added: “Because this is the will of the people, I do not think governors, irrespective of political party, will oppose it.”

He explained that once the required approvals are obtained from the states, the bill will return to the National Assembly before being sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

On how the new policing arrangement would operate, Plang said Nigeria would adopt a dual policing system comprising the Federal Police and State Police.

“Nigeria will have the Federal Police and State Police. The Federal Police will continue to be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, while the State Police will be headed by Commissioners of Police.”

He disclosed that the proposed framework also provides for the establishment of a National Police Council and a National Police Service Commission to oversee recruitment, training and discipline, while each state would have its own Police Council and Police Service Commission responsible for recruiting personnel.

According to him, although states would have powers to legislate on policing because it would be placed on the Concurrent Legislative List, their laws and operations must conform with the Constitution.

“The national institutions will set minimum standards for recruitment and qualifications, while there will also be oversight from the National Police Council.”

Plang added that governors would participate directly in shaping national policing policy through their membership of the National Police Council.

“The governors will also be members of the National Police Council, together with representatives from the states.”

He stressed that the proposed structure clearly separates the responsibilities of the federal and state policing institutions.

“There will also be a clear jurisdiction of functions. The National Police Council will not interfere in the operations of the State Police Councils, while the State Police Councils will operate within their respective states,” he stated.

Can the bill address long-standing fears?

Perhaps the greatest challenge confronting the proposed legislation is restoring public confidence.

Opponents fear governors could deploy state police to intimidate political opponents, influence elections or target ethnic and religious minorities. Others worry that poorer states may struggle to fund their police services, while jurisdictional disputes between federal and state police could complicate law enforcement.

Supporters counter that these risks can be effectively addressed through robust constitutional safeguards rather than by rejecting decentralisation altogether.

They argue that locally recruited officers understand community dynamics, languages and terrain far better than centrally deployed personnel.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun estimates that if every state recruits about 6,000 officers, Nigeria could add nearly 200,000 police personnel to strengthen security nationwide.

The real test lies in the fine print

Ultimately, the fate of state policing may depend less on the constitutional amendment than on the provisions of the National Policing Bill itself.

The Presidential Working Group has indicated that states will be required to satisfy strict certification requirements before establishing police services. These are expected to cover recruitment standards, professional training, financial sustainability, disciplinary systems, independent complaints mechanisms, firearms regulation and data management.

Legal experts have also recommended additional safeguards, including independent state police service commissions insulated from political interference, transparent merit-based recruitment, fixed tenure for police leadership, judicial review of abuses, civilian complaints commissions, legislative oversight, national training standards, guaranteed funding and enforceable human rights protections.

The challenge will be striking a delicate balance between accountability and operational independence. Too much federal control may simply preserve the status quo under a different name, while excessive state autonomy could fuel fears of political misuse.

A defining moment for Nigeria’s security architecture

Nigeria’s conversation on state police has evolved beyond whether decentralised policing is desirable. The real challenge now is whether lawmakers can build institutions strong enough to prevent abuse while giving states sufficient authority to confront increasingly complex security threats.

The Presidential Working Group has only seven weeks to produce legislation capable of resolving constitutional, political, financial and operational questions that have divided Nigerians for decades.

Whether the National Policing Bill ultimately reassures sceptics or deepens existing divisions may determine not only the future of state police but also the trajectory of Nigeria’s security architecture for generations to come (The Sun)

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