President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security challenges by asking the House of Representatives to amend the 1999 Constitution to give legal backing to the establishment of state police.
The request, contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, was conveyed to the House in a letter dated June 15, 2026, and addressed to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
In the letter, Tinubu urged lawmakers to fast-track consideration of the bill, describing it as a crucial step towards overhauling the nation’s security architecture.
According to the President, the proposed legislation would create a constitutional framework for state police services to operate alongside the Nigeria Police Force, allowing both the Federal Government and state governments to maintain constitutionally recognised police institutions.
He said the proposal was designed to strengthen internal security and respond more effectively to the country’s growing security threats.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done by the House of Representatives and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively for the benefit of all Nigerians,” Tinubu stated.
The President described the bill as a key component of his administration’s security reform agenda, expressing confidence that lawmakers would expedite its passage.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the House of Representatives will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
The move comes amid persistent calls for the decentralisation of policing as Nigeria continues to battle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other violent crimes.
Currently, the Nigeria Police Force remains the country’s only constitutionally recognised police institution, with operational control vested solely in the Federal Government.
Over the years, governors, security experts, lawyers and civil society groups have argued that the centralised policing system has become overstretched and insufficient to tackle security challenges across the federation.
Several states have already established regional security outfits, including Amotekun in the South-West and Ebube Agu in parts of the South-East, to complement federal security agencies.
Supporters of state police believe the arrangement would enhance intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and improve response to local security threats.
However, critics have continued to express concerns that governors could misuse state police for political purposes.
The House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, has previously considered similar proposals, although none has completed the constitutional amendment process.
For the amendment to become law, it must secure the support of at least two-thirds of members of both chambers of the National Assembly and be approved by no fewer than 24 State Houses of Assembly.
If passed, the amendment will reshape Nigeria’s policing structure by creating a dual policing system and defining the powers, funding, oversight and operations of both federal and state police services.
