The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026 was passed by the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, advancing the country’s transition to state policing.
Although the majority of Nigerians concur that the creation of the State Police was long overdue, there have been worries about its efficacy and potential misuse by state governors.
President Bola Tinubu sent the bill to the Senate, and like all executive bills since the start of this administration, it was expedited.
The reorganized Federal Police Service, which would replace the Nigeria Police Force, is another essential component of the proposed constitutional amendment.
The bill gives states the constitutional authority to establish and run their own police departments, but it also gives the federal government significant emergency intervention powers.
The Federal Police Service would continue to have the power to get involved in a state’s internal security issues under specific circumstances, as stated in Section 214 of the proposed legislation.
These include threats to national security, an actual or impending breakdown of public order, a state police service’s inefficiency, signs of grave human rights violations, partisan intimidation, or illegal activity by state policing authorities.
The law permits the Federal Police Service to temporarily assume operational control of a state police service or any part of it, subject to judicial review, Senate supervision, and presidential approval.
Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele described the bill as one of the most important constitutional changes in Nigeria’s democratic history during the debate.
He underlined that the measure intends to address long-standing concerns about the shortcomings of a centralized policing system in a country dealing with a variety of security issues, complex geographical realities, and varied sociocultural contexts.
SONOGIST remembers a clear signal that began on September 2, 2025, when President Tinubu pledged that his administration would modernize the Forest Guard and establish the State Police Service to directly combat insecurity throughout the nation.
When Tinubu received a delegation of distinguished Katsina State residents led by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda at the State House, he stated that the current security concerns throughout Nigeria will necessitate the deployment of organizations that are familiar with the region and the unique culture of the populace and can readily network at the grassroots level.
Nigerians have been voicing their opinions since the bill was passed, and many of them have expressed reservations.
On Thursday, Barr addressed reporters. Former minister of sport and youth development and current leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Solomon Dalung, claimed that the establishment of state police would make the nation’s security situation worse.
Former All Progressive Congress (APC) leader Dalong is skeptical of the state police’s ability to combat nationwide insecurity.
“Well, the Senate’s passing of the State Police bill is just a political ploy to deceive Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election,” he declared.
“This government has had security issues since its founding, and if it were serious about addressing the state police issue, it would have done so long ago.
However, the government is now attempting to deceive Nigerians with the issue of state police after realizing that it has failed miserably to address security challenges and has no solution at all.
Second, while the State Police are desirable, their timing is flawed, political, and unmotivated, and their sole purpose is to further political agendas rather than safeguard Nigerians.
This is due to the fact that the current question is: What is the state police’s architecture as approved by the National Assembly? Given that more than $5 trillion was voted for security, what is the issue with the current architecture that prevents Nigerians from being protected?
What will the state police do differently, then? The bill’s proposed state police force is unable to address the existing security issues and will only make matters worse.
Because the issue has been placed in the hands of the governors, it will further victimize and marginalize political opponents.
“But what’s the next step? The National Assembly’s amendment of the Constitution and the arming of every Nigerian are currently the only options.
This is due to the fact that only criminals are protected by Nigeria’s current political security framework. Citizens are not protected by it.
“It puts citizens at risk of being abducted by criminals and taken into the bushes, and nothing is done about it.”
