The National Assembly has assured Nigerians that the proposed constitutional framework for the establishment of state police will include robust safeguards to prevent abuse by governors and other political actors.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele gave the assurance while leading debate on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, following the Senate’s passage of the landmark legislation. He said the proposed decentralised policing system was carefully designed to strengthen security while protecting citizens’ rights and preventing political misuse.
According to Bamidele, the bill seeks to address longstanding concerns that state police could be deployed for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional or personal interests. He stressed that the legislation contains constitutional checks to ensure accountability and professionalism in the operation of state police services.
He explained that under the proposed framework, the Federal Police Service would continue to handle matters of national importance, including terrorism, cybercrime, organised crime, border security, arms trafficking and other interstate criminal activities. State police, on the other hand, would be responsible for maintaining law and order within their respective states.
Bamidele also noted that the federal police would retain clearly defined intervention powers, which could only be exercised under exceptional circumstances, such as a breakdown of public order, the inability of a state police service to function effectively, serious violations of fundamental rights, established cases of electoral intimidation or threats to national security.
The Senate passed the 25-clause constitutional amendment bill after a clause-by-clause consideration and a manual vote in which more than two-thirds of senators voted in support. However, the proposal is yet to become law. It must still be approved by the House of Representatives, endorsed by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly and receive presidential assent before the constitutional amendment can take effects.
The push for state police has gained momentum in recent years as stakeholders seek more effective responses to insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping and communal violence. While supporters argue that decentralised policing will improve local security and intelligence gathering, critics have expressed concerns that governors could exploit state-controlled police formations to suppress political opponents.
Bamidele maintained that the National Assembly has taken those concerns into account and is committed to ensuring that any state police system established under the amended Constitution operates within a framework that guarantees accountability, protects fundamental rights and upholds the rule of law.
