President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a constitutional amendment bill to the House of Representatives seeking to establish state police across Nigeria, in what is being regarded as the most far-reaching proposal to reform the country’s policing structure since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
The proposed legislation, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, is designed to provide the constitutional foundation for the creation of state-controlled police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
In a letter dated June 15, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the President requested lawmakers to give the bill expedited legislative consideration, describing it as a central element of his administration’s security reform agenda.
The Speaker read the President’s communication during Tuesday’s plenary.
According to Tinubu, the proposed amendment seeks to establish “a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services” as part of efforts to improve the country’s capacity to address growing security challenges.
The President explained that the Executive proposal builds on previous legislative efforts by the House of Representatives while introducing additional safeguards to ensure that a dual policing structure operates efficiently and responsibly.
“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 letter stated.
Tinubu described the legislation as a critical component of his administration’s broader plan to overhaul Nigeria’s security architecture and urged lawmakers to fast-track 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,” the President wrote.
He also expressed confidence that the National Assembly would treat the proposal with urgency and complete the legislative process without unnecessary delay.
The latest move represents the strongest executive endorsement yet of state policing, an issue that has dominated constitutional reform discussions in Nigeria for more than two decades.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system under the Nigeria Police Force, as provided by the 1999 Constitution. However, successive administrations, state governors, constitutional experts and security stakeholders have repeatedly argued that the existing structure has become overstretched due to worsening insecurity, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, communal conflicts and other violent crimes.
In recent years, calls for decentralised policing have intensified as several states established regional security outfits to complement federal law enforcement agencies.
These include Amotekun in the South-West, Ebube Agu in parts of the South-East, as well as various state-backed vigilante organisations operating in different regions of the country.
Supporters of state police argue that decentralising policing would enhance intelligence gathering, improve response time and strengthen community-based security operations.
Critics, however, have consistently expressed concern that governors could misuse state police for political purposes unless robust constitutional safeguards are put in place.
The House of Representatives has previously considered several constitutional amendment proposals seeking to establish state police through its Constitution Review Committee, but none has successfully completed the amendment process.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional amendment procedure, any proposal must secure the support of at least two-thirds of members of both chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently be approved by no fewer than 24 of the country’s 36 state Houses of Assembly.
If the latest bill satisfies these constitutional requirements, Nigeria would formally adopt a dual policing system, allowing both the Federal Government and individual state governments to establish and operate constitutionally recognised police services.
The proposal is expected to generate renewed debate among lawmakers, state governments, security experts and other stakeholders over issues relating to funding, operational control, oversight mechanisms, recruitment standards and constitutional safeguards as legislative consideration begins.
