The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the State Police Bill,, which seeks to establish state police formations alongside the existing federal police structure.
The bill, 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 for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was considered and approved at the Committee of the Whole following the presentation of the report by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Before the commencement of voting, the House considered the various clauses of the proposed amendment.
The process witnessed a brief moment of argument when a member representing Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Bashir Zubairu, raised a point of order, arguing that lawmakers had only received copies of the committee’s report shortly before plenary and therefore required more time to study the document.
He said: “This document was only made available to lawmakers in the chambers, and we are yet to go through it. We cannot do justice to it because we have not gone through it.”
The Speaker Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, ruled the objection out of order, allowing the House to proceed with consideration of the bill.
While clause-by-clause consideration was ongoing, some lawmakers repeatedly sought to raise points of order, but Abbas directed proceedings to continue.
The Speaker later informed members that the electronic voting system was unavailable, necessitating a manual voting process based on attendance in the chamber.
After the exercise, 289 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while one member voted against it. The Speaker abstained from voting, in keeping with parliamentary convention.
The proposed amendment seeks to fundamentally restructure Nigeria’s policing architecture by formally establishing both Federal Police and State Police formations.
Under the bill, the National Assembly will retain responsibility for prescribing the structure, organisation, administration and powers of the Federal Police, while also setting minimum standards for the establishment and operation of state police services.
To prevent abuse and ensure institutional balance, the bill also outlines circumstances under which the Federal Police may intervene in the affairs of a state police force, including situations involving a complete breakdown of law and order, requests by a state governor, or cases where a state police formation becomes incapable of carrying out its duties.
The amendment equally introduces changes to the appointment and command structure of the police.
Under its provisions, the Inspector-General of Police would be appointed by the President on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council and subject to confirmation by the National Assembly.
State Commissioners of Police would be appointed by governors on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council and confirmed by their respective State Houses of Assembly.
Governors would also be empowered to issue lawful directives to State Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and maintenance of law and order. However, where disputes arise over the legality of such directives, the matter may be referred to the Nigeria Police Council for a final determination.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Thursday passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish state police and decentralise policing powers in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s internal security architecture and address the country’s growing security challenges.
The proposed legislation, which received overwhelming support from lawmakers across party lines and geopolitical zones, 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, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, described the establishment of state police as a critical step toward modernising Nigeria’s security framework and addressing the limitations of the current centralised policing structure.
According to him, Nigeria continues to grapple with a wide range of security threats, including terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, farmer-herder clashes, armed robbery, cult-related violence, pipeline vandalism, communal conflicts and cyber-enabled crimes.
He noted that persistent insecurity and public dissatisfaction with the existing policing arrangement had intensified calls for the creation of state police across the federation.
He explained that the bill seeks to establish both federal and state police structures with clearly defined responsibilities, while also creating State Police Service Commissions to oversee recruitment, discipline and administration.
The proposed legislation further provides for the transfer of policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby empowering states to participate directly in law enforcement and security management.
“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,” he said.
He spoke on concerns that state governors could misuse state police for political purposes, saying the bill contains several safeguards designed to prevent abuse and ensure accountability.
According to him, among the safeguards are the establishment of State Police Service Commissions, oversight by the Federal Police Service Commission, adherence to uniform national policing standards, legislative confirmation of senior appointments, strengthened procedures for the removal of state commissioners of police, periodic operational reviews and federal intervention mechanisms in cases of severe breakdown of law and order.
He explained that the measures were carefully designed to balance operational independence with constitutional oversight.
He argued that effective security is best achieved when law enforcement institutions are closely connected to the communities they serve.
Officers familiar with local languages, culture, geography and social dynamics are better positioned to gather intelligence and prevent criminal activities before they escalate, he said.
He also maintained that state police would improve emergency response times by eliminating bureaucratic delays associated with a highly centralised command structure.
He added that the new arrangement would promote community policing, enhance public trust in law enforcement agencies and allow the federal police to concentrate on interstate crimes, terrorism, organised criminal networks, border security, cybercrime and the protection of critical national assets.
The lawmaker further argued that the proposal aligns with the principles of federalism, noting that many federal nations operate multi-layered policing systems.
Contributing to the debate, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, expressed strong support for the bill, saying its passage would help regulate and coordinate the numerous vigilante and local security outfits currently operating across the country.
He said the legislation would provide a clear legal framework for the establishment, regulation and operation of state police formations while ensuring proper accountability mechanisms.
The bill now awaits further consideration by the Constitution Review Committee before returning to the Senate for additional legislative action.
