President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally transmitted to the House of Representatives a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police, marking a major step in the administration’s push to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system and strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The proposed legislation, titled 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 correspondence, the President urged lawmakers to give the bill expedited consideration, describing it as a key component of his administration’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s security framework in response to the country’s evolving security challenges.
According to Tinubu, the proposed amendment seeks to create “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services,” providing the legal framework for a dual policing structure in which federal and state police would operate side by side.
“This Bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard 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 national security challenges can be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” the President wrote.
Tinubu described the legislation as a critical pillar of his administration’s security reform agenda, expressing confidence that the House would act swiftly on the proposal.
“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 stated.
The transmission of the bill represents the strongest executive endorsement yet of state police, an issue that has dominated constitutional reform debates for more than two decades.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system under the Nigeria Police Force, with operational control vested exclusively in the Federal Government. However, persistent insecurity—including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and attacks on farming communities—has intensified calls for the decentralisation of policing.
State governors, security experts, traditional rulers and constitutional scholars have long argued that the existing structure has become overstretched and is no longer sufficient to address the country’s increasingly complex security challenges. They contend that state police would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and enable quicker responses to local security threats.
The debate has gained further momentum with the emergence of regional security outfits established by state governments to complement federal security agencies. These include the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, in the South-West, Ebube Agu in parts of the South-East and various state-backed vigilante organisations across the country.
Opponents of state police, however, have consistently warned that decentralising policing could expose security institutions to political manipulation by state governments, particularly during elections and periods of heightened political tension. They have called for strong constitutional safeguards to prevent abuse and protect the rights of citizens.
The President’s latest proposal comes against the backdrop of ongoing constitutional amendment efforts by the 10th National Assembly. The House of Representatives Constitution Review Committee, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has already considered several proposals on state policing, many of which received widespread public support during nationwide zonal public hearings.
If enacted, the bill would amend the 1999 Constitution to formally establish state police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force, creating a constitutionally recognised dual policing system with clearly defined powers, responsibilities and oversight mechanisms.
Under Section 9 of the Constitution, the amendment will require the support of not less than two-thirds of members of both chambers of the National Assembly and ratification by at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
The proposal is expected to trigger extensive legislative debate in the coming months as lawmakers consider issues relating to funding, operational control, jurisdiction, accountability, inter-agency coordination and safeguards against political interference.
Its eventual passage would represent one of the most far-reaching constitutional reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999 and fundamentally reshape the country’s internal security framework.