Nigeria took a massive stride toward a radical restructuring of its internal security architecture on Thursday, as a bill seeking to establish state police forces secured near-unanimous backing in the House of Representatives and successfully scaled its second reading in the Senate. ​
The proposed legislation, which represents one of the most critical constitution alteration bills currently before the National Assembly, aims to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). If fully passed into law, it will grant states the legal authority to establish, fund, and operate their own police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
​The debate in the House of Representatives demonstrated an unprecedented level of political consensus among lawmakers, reflecting the growing urgency to tackle the nation’s compounding security challenges. ​During a heated but largely unified plenary session, the bill secured the support of 289 out of the 290 lawmakers in attendance.
Only a single member voted against the motion, marking a historic landslide victory for proponents of decentralised policing. ​Lawmakers who argued in favor of the bill emphasized that the current centralized policing system is overstretched and structurally ill-equipped to handle localized crimes like banditry, kidnapping, and communal clashes. ​
Meanwhile, upper chamber momentum mirrored that of the House. The Senate successfully passed the bill through its second reading, referring it to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review. ​While some senators previously expressed reservations regarding the financial capacity of states to sustain their own police forces and the potential for political abuse by state governors, the overwhelming sentiment during the debate shifted toward localizing security. ​
“The security realities of today demand local solutions. We cannot monitor the nooks and crannies of Nigeria from a central command in Abuja,” one lawmaker noted during the debate. ​While the legislative milestones in both chambers mark a monumental breakthrough, the bill still faces a rigorous constitutional process before becoming law. ​
As the bill moves to the public hearing and committee stages, Nigerians are bracing for a robust national debate on the funding, operational boundaries, and safeguards needed to prevent the abuse of state-controlled security forces.
However, with the National Assembly signaling such strong initial support, the era of a single, centralized police force in Nigeria may be drawing to a close.
