Nigeria TV Info House Passes State Police Amendment Bill, Scales Second Reading in Senate

Nigeria’s push for the establishment of state police has gained significant momentum after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment bill seeking to create state police formations across the country. The bill, which aims to decentralize policing and strengthen local security management, also successfully scaled second reading in the Senate, marking a major step toward one of the most debated security reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow each state to establish and operate its own police force alongside the existing federal police structure. During deliberations in the House, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in support of the bill, arguing that the current centralized policing system has become overstretched due to rising insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, and other violent crimes across the country.

In the Senate, lawmakers endorsed the bill at second reading, with supporters describing it as a landmark security reform capable of improving intelligence gathering, enhancing emergency response, and strengthening community policing. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele noted that state police would enable officers with better knowledge of local languages, customs, and terrain to respond more effectively to security threats.

The bill includes safeguards intended to prevent abuse by state governments. It proposes oversight mechanisms, legislative confirmation of senior appointments, State Police Service Commissions, and provisions for federal intervention in cases where law and order completely break down. Under the proposal, state police forces must meet national standards and be established through laws passed by state assemblies before becoming operational.

Despite broad support, critics have expressed concerns that state police could be used for political purposes by governors and that financially weaker states may struggle to fund and maintain effective police services. However, proponents argue that the reform is necessary to address Nigeria’s diverse and increasingly complex security challenges.

The constitutional amendment bill must still pass further legislative stages and secure approval from at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly before it can become law. If successfully enacted, it would represent one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s security architecture since the return to democratic governance in 1999.