The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday passed for a second reading a bill seeking to establish state police across the country. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the passage during plenary after a majority of senators supported it via a voice vote. The bill has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, for further legislative scrutiny, including public hearings to gauge public opinion on the proposed state police system.
Provisions of the Bill
The bill, sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, aims to devolve policing powers to subnational governments to strengthen Nigeria's internal security architecture. It proposes modernising the policing framework by establishing State Police Service Commissions to regulate recruitment, training, and oversight of personnel. Additionally, it seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing both federal and state governments to exercise policing powers.
Senate Leader's Arguments
Mr Bamidele, while leading the debate, emphasised that the introduction of state police is not intended to weaken the Nigeria Police Force but to enhance security operations at all levels. Addressing concerns about potential abuse by governors, he noted that the bill establishes State Police Commissions as institutional safeguards against political interference, responsible for recruitment, training, and coordination of state policing activities. He argued that state policing would improve intelligence gathering, as local officers understand local languages, customs, and social structures. "Modern policing relies heavily on intelligence rather than force. State Police will significantly strengthen Nigeria's intelligence architecture," he said.
Reducing Pressure on Federal Police
Mr Bamidele also stated that state police would relieve pressure on the federal police, allowing them to focus on interstate crimes, terrorism, organised criminal networks, border security, cybercrime, and protection of federal assets. He added that the proposal would strengthen Nigeria's federal system by ensuring a more equitable distribution of powers among different tiers of government, noting that most mature federations maintain sub-national police institutions alongside federal law enforcement agencies.
Background and Context
Over the years, there have been growing calls from state governments and civil society organisations for localised policing due to rising incidents of armed robbery, communal clashes, and other security challenges. A national conference during former President Goodluck Jonathan's administration recommended state police as a strategy to reduce insecurity. The surge in banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism has increased pressure from governors and political leaders for its creation. In the absence of formal state policing, some regions have established informal security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-west, Ebube Agu in the South-east, and Hisbah in the North-west.
Despite security challenges, state police remains contentious. Critics argue that without proper safeguards, governors could exploit it to harass political opponents, suppress dissent, and stifle press freedom. Others believe it is the best way to reduce insecurity. Recently, the Senate President stated that the proposed framework would include a National State Police Commission to regulate operations, including recruitment, training, promotion, discipline, and conduct of officers.
Debate in the Senate
During the debate, most senators expressed support, saying state police could provide a lasting solution to the country's security problems. Chief Whip Tahir Monguno said it would strengthen grassroots security and enhance efforts to combat insecurity by involving local communities, improving effectiveness, deepening public trust, and strengthening intelligence gathering. However, Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) cautioned that reforms must comply with constitutional requirements. He argued that Nigeria's security challenges may not be solely structural, noting that with fewer than 400,000 police officers for a population of over 200 million, the country may need a significant workforce increase alongside institutional reforms.
The House of Representatives earlier passed a similar bill. If differences exist between the versions passed by both chambers at the third reading stage, each chamber will establish a committee to harmonise them before transmitting the bill to the president for assent.
