The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Executive Bill seeking to establish state police, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s long-running efforts to decentralise policing and strengthen internal security through a dual policing system.
The bill was approved during plenary after lawmakers withdrew an earlier constitutional amendment proposal sponsored by members of the House and adopted the Executive Bill transmitted by the Presidency.
The development follows the Senate’s earlier passage of its version of the legislation, bringing the National Assembly closer to concluding legislative action on one of the country’s most far-reaching security reforms.
The proposed law seeks to amend relevant provisions of the Constitution to allow states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force, with clearly defined powers, operational guidelines and oversight mechanisms.
Its passage comes amid persistent calls for reforms to Nigeria’s centralised policing structure, which many stakeholders argue has struggled to respond effectively to rising cases of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other security challenges across the federation.
For years, governors, traditional rulers, civil society groups and security experts have advocated the creation of state police, arguing that locally controlled police formations would possess better knowledge of their communities, improve intelligence gathering and respond more swiftly to emerging threats.
However, opponents of the proposal have expressed concerns over the possibility of abuse by state governments, warning that state police could be deployed to intimidate political opponents or undermine democratic institutions if adequate constitutional safeguards are not put in place.
The renewed push for state police gained momentum after the National Economic Council, comprising the Vice President and the 36 state governors, endorsed the initiative and called for the establishment of legal and institutional frameworks to guide its implementation.
President Bola Tinubu has also consistently expressed support for decentralised policing as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture and improve public safety.
With both the Senate and the House of Representatives now having approved the Executive Bill, the harmonised version will proceed through the remaining constitutional processes required before it can be transmitted for presidential assent, subject to the constitutional requirements governing amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
If eventually enacted, the legislation would usher in one of the most significant reforms of Nigeria’s policing system since independence, creating a constitutional basis for state-controlled police services to operate alongside the federal police in addressing the country’s growing security challenges.
