Tinubu transmits state police bill to Senate

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, to the Senate, setting in motion what lawmakers describe as an epoch-making move to end decades of debate over decentralized policing in Nigeria.

The initial bill was read for the first time during plenary on Monday, June 15, 2026, and was immediately referred to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for expedited consideration.

Reading the President’s letter to the chamber during Tuesday‘s plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said Tinubu described the amendment as critical to reorganizing Nigeria’s security architecture and urged the National Assembly to act swiftly.

“This bill seeks to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to create a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police services in Nigeria,” the President stated in the letter.

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He noted that the legislation builds on extensive work already undertaken by both chambers of the National Assembly and includes safeguards to ensure that a dual policing structure operates effectively.

“It builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and the Senate and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure can address our nation’s evolving security challenges,” Tinubu said.

Describing the proposal as central to his administration’s security reforms, the President added: “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 Senate will act swiftly to consider and pass this bill.”

Akpabio stated that the Senate intends to streamline the process and transmit the bill to state Houses of Assembly as quickly as possible, urging them to give it prompt consideration upon receipt.

Supporters of the proposal argue that local policing will make national security more proactive, effective, and inclusive.

According to Akpabio, bringing security closer to communities, local government areas, and municipalities will encourage greater citizen participation in safeguarding their neighborhoods.

The Senate President also argued that state police would help identify and prevent infiltration by criminal elements and foreign actors, as local residents are naturally more familiar with the people within their communities.

He emphasized that the goal is to shift from a reactive security system to one that enables early detection and swift, proactive responses by law enforcement agencies.

Akpabio commended the Constitution Review Committee for nearly two years of work on the proposal, describing it as a key component of Nigeria’s broader security reforms.

He linked the urgency of the bill to the country’s ongoing security challenges, expressing hope that it would finally help curtail insurgency, kidnapping, and other forms of rampant criminality.

If passed by the National Assembly and approved by a two-thirds majority—at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly—the amendment will be transmitted back to the President for his assent.

It would then provide the necessary constitutional framework for states to establish, fund, and manage their own police services under the safeguards outlined in the bill.

Our correspondent reports that Tuesday‘s plenary was afterwards suspended as senators observed a minute’s silence in honor of Hon. Yaya Tongo, the member representing Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State, who passed away during the legislative recess.

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