ABUJA – President Bola Tinubu’s push for the establishment of state police received a major boost on Thursday as 311 members of the House of Representatives voted in support of a constitutional amendment to create state-controlled police services across the country.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, announced the outcome during plenary, revealing that 276 lawmakers voted physically, while 35 participated virtually, giving the bill overwhelming backing.
The approval followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
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 Services and for Related Matters (HB. 2797),” seeks to establish a dual policing system, allowing state police to operate alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The development marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s long-running debate over decentralised policing amid rising cases of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal clashes across the country.
President Tinubu had forwarded the executive bill to the House last week, describing it as a key part of his administration’s plan to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
According to the President, the proposed legislation builds on previous efforts by the National Assembly while introducing stronger safeguards to ensure transparency, accountability and effective operation of state police.
“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 can be achieved quickly and effectively,” Tinubu stated.
He urged lawmakers to expedite action on the bill, describing it as crucial to protecting lives and property.
Following the President’s submission, the House rescinded its earlier resolution of June 11, 2026, on state police and dissolved the 12-member conference committee constituted to harmonise previous proposals, opting instead to proceed with the executive-backed version.
For years, the issue of state police has generated intense national debate, with supporters insisting it would improve intelligence gathering, community policing and rapid response to security threats.
Critics, however, have warned that state governments could misuse the outfit for political purposes, concerns the executive bill seeks to address through constitutional safeguards.
