The Senate has passed the State Police Bill, a landmark constitutional amendment backed by President Bola Tinubu. The proposal now heads to state assemblies for approval before presidential assent
Senate Passes State Police Bill 2026 as Tinubu’s Security Reform Gains Momentum
The Senate has passed the State Police Bill, a landmark constitutional amendment backed by President Bola Tinubu. The proposal now heads to state assemblies for approval before presidential assent
The Senate on Thursday approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, marking a major milestone in the country’s long-running debate over decentralising policing and strengthening internal security.
The Executive Bill, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and read for the first time on Tuesday, sailed through after extensive deliberations by lawmakers who described it as one of the most consequential constitutional reforms in recent Nigerian history.
The historic debate attracted top government officials and state governors, including Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun. Attorneys-General from the participating states were also present as the Senate considered the far-reaching legislation.
Leading the debate, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele urged lawmakers to support the measure, arguing that Nigeria’s worsening security challenges demanded urgent and innovative solutions.
“This Bill represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms in our nation’s democratic evolution,” Bamidele said.
“It addresses a long-standing national conversation on the structure, effectiveness, responsiveness and sustainability of policing in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
According to him, the legislation creates a framework that would allow state police services to operate under clearly defined national standards while remaining accountable to constitutional safeguards.
“The bill empowers the National Assembly to prescribe national minimum standards relating to recruitment, training, vetting, promotions, discipline, use of force, firearms, complaints procedures, accountability, data management and professional conduct,” he said.
“These minimum standards will ensure that State Police Services remain professional, accountable and compliant with national standards.”
Responding to concerns that governors could abuse state-controlled police structures for political purposes, Bamidele insisted that the proposed law contains strong safeguards against misuse.
“One of the major concerns expressed regarding the establishment of state police is the potential for political abuse by state governments,” he said.
“This Bill directly addresses that concern by prohibiting any governor from directing a State Police Service to unlawfully target specific persons, political parties, groups or associations.”
“The Bill also expressly prohibits the use of police powers for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional or personal purposes.”
He further explained that any federal intervention in state policing operations would be strictly regulated.
“It is instructive to state that such intervention must be authorised in writing by the President, limited in scope and duration, subject to Senate oversight and open to judicial review,” he added.
Support for the bill cut across party and regional lines. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, revealed that although he had previously opposed the idea of state police, the deteriorating security situation across the country had convinced him of the need for a new approach.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, also endorsed the proposal, describing state police as a critical component of efforts to deepen federalism and improve grassroots security. Chief Whip Tahir Monguno similarly urged senators to back the amendment, describing it as a necessary response to the country’s evolving security realities.
In a related move aimed at strengthening law enforcement capacity, the Senate also passed legislation increasing funding for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund by raising allocations from the Consolidated Revenue Fund from 0.5 per cent to one per cent.
At the conclusion of the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio hailed the passage of the bill as a landmark achievement, expressing confidence that the reform would significantly improve Nigeria’s ability to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes while bringing policing closer to local communities.
The bill will now proceed to the next stage of the constitutional amendment process. Following concurrence by the House of Representatives, it will be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly, where approval by at least two-thirds of the legislatures is required before it can be presented to President Tinubu for assent. Observers expect the process to move swiftly in the coming days.
Reacting to the Senate’s decision, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu congratulated President Tinubu, describing the approval as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic development and security architecture.
In a statement personally signed by him, the governor called the Senate’s action “epochal” and said the development reflected the President’s longstanding commitment to true federalism.
“Today is a great day for our country; a day to celebrate the triumph of genuine democratic and developmental ideas over parochial sentiments,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“State Police has been top of mind for President Tinubu since 1999 when he governed Lagos.
“We are happy to witness its emergence in Nigeria, and all thanks to a leader whose life is defined by service to our nation.”
Sanwo-Olu also described the measure as a major boost in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality, while commending senators for what he called a historic intervention. He urged state legislatures across the federation to support the constitutional amendment and help bring the long-awaited reform into effect.
If approved by the required number of state assemblies and eventually signed into law, the State Police Bill would represent one of the most sweeping changes to Nigeria’s policing structure since the return to democratic rule, potentially reshaping the country’s security landscape for decades to come.
