President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally sent a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate, proposing the creation of state police across Nigeria.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend sections of the 1999 Constitution to establish a clear legal and institutional structure for state controlled policing within the federation.
The initiative represents a major push in ongoing reforms aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s security system and expanding the authority of state governments in maintaining law and order within their territories.
President Tinubu has repeatedly backed constitutional amendments that would decentralise policing. In February, he urged the National Assembly to fast track changes enabling state police, arguing that current security challenges demand a more locally responsive framework.
According to him, granting states their own police forces would improve efforts to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes nationwide.
The bill will now be reviewed by lawmakers in the National Assembly, who are expected to debate its provisions and assess its broader implications for Nigeria’s federal structure and security architecture.
