Momentum Builds for State Police as 36 Speakers Back Bill, Ratification Race Begins
By Victor Idajili
Support for state police is gaining serious traction after speakers of all 36 State Houses of Assembly, several governors, the Labour Party and the APC Speakers’ Forum threw their weight behind the constitutional amendment passed by the Senate on Wednesday.
The bill, which seeks to create state police services across Nigeria, now faces its “final test”: it must be ratified by at least 24 state assemblies before it can go to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
Lawmakers and stakeholders say the move is a direct response to rising insecurity — terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes — that the current centralized policing model has struggled to contain.
Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia was among the first to applaud the Senate. In a statement by his CPS Kula Tersoo, he called it “a courageous and timely step.” Alia argued that state police would understand local terrain, culture and community dynamics better, enabling faster responses. He also commended Tinubu for advancing a reform that has stalled for years.
In Kano, the House of Assembly went straight into a stakeholders’ meeting with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Thursday. Assembly PRO Kamaluddeen Shawai said the House would announce its position after consultations.
Gombe Speaker Abubakar Luggerewo said the Assembly would send the bill to a committee for public hearings and stakeholder input. “Our preliminary assessment is positive. It’s a welcome development that can help address security challenges,” he said, but noted the House will vote against any clauses it finds uncomfortable.
Akwa Ibom Speaker Udeme Otong said lawmakers have not received the Senate’s version yet. “We have to study the bill first. This is an executive bill; we don’t work anyhow. We’ll hold a public hearing for inputs,” he said.
Bayelsa’s House Committee on Information Chairman, Brown Ebizi, said the Assembly is “in full support” and will work on it “expeditiously” once it arrives.
The Forum of Progressive APC Speakers, led by Jigawa Speaker Haruna Dangyatin, called the Senate’s passage “a historic breakthrough.”
“This bill will empower states to protect their people and respond swiftly to threats,” he said, pledging oversight to ensure the police operate within human rights and the rule of law, and promising collaboration on funding, training and welfare.
The Labour Party also endorsed it. National Publicity Secretary Ken Asogwa said Nigerians have long demanded policing closer to communities. While acknowledging fears of governor abuse, he pointed to Section 17 safeguards in the bill as checks against misuse. “No policing model is perfect, but Nigeria’s size and diversity demand a decentralized approach,” he said, urging all 36 assemblies to back it.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, chaired by Delta Speaker Emomotimi Guwor, said: “Security is local, and our people deserve a policing architecture that understands their terrain.” He assured Nigerians of “diligent consideration” in line with Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
Former Ekiti North Senator Ayodele Arise described it as “much-needed,” saying local policing will improve intelligence and response times. On abuse concerns, he said: “We must put checks and balances in place to curtail any governor who wants to use police against the people.”
Plateau Speaker Naanlong Daniel and Ondo Speaker Olamide Oladiji also backed it. Oladiji cited Amotekun in Ondo as proof that state-level policing need not be politicized: “We should not politicize state police so it doesn’t come to fruition.”
The Peoples Redemption Party rejected the plan. National Chairman Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed said the Tinubu administration “lacks the moral assets and trust” to undertake such a shift, calling the push “suspicious” and urging Nigerians to wait until after the next election.
The Senate approved the amendment on Wednesday after a clause-by-clause review by the Constitution Review Committee chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
It creates a dual structure: state governments can set up police services, while the Nigeria Police Force keeps federal responsibilities like terrorism, cybercrime, border protection and arms trafficking.
Key safeguards included:
Expanded National Police Council: To include the AGF, all state AGs, six retired CPs from the geo-political zones, reps of NBA, NLC, NHRC, Public Complaints Commission, and a DIG from the Federal Police. It will coordinate policy, recommend IG and CP appointments/removals, and supervise both federal and state services.
Protection for State CPs: A commissioner can only be removed for stated cause, after a fair hearing, on the Council’s recommendation and with a 2/3 vote of the state House of Assembly.
Limits on governors: No governor can order arrest, detention or investigation of a named individual outside the law, or issue directives that violate rights or target groups politically.
Federal intervention clause: The Federal Police can take over a state service if there’s a breakdown of order, incapacity, human rights abuses or national security threats — but only with written presidential authorization, and the governor, Assembly, Council and NASS must be notified within 48 hours. Extensions need Senate approval and are subject to judicial review.
Operational autonomy: State Police Service Commissions can make their own rules without executive approval to guard against interference in recruitment and discipline.
States can only launch police services after passing a state law and meeting minimum standards set by the National Assembly.
With endorsements from the 36 Speakers’ Conference, APC Speakers, Labour Party and several states, the bill appears to have momentum. But it still needs 24 state assemblies to ratify it, and each state has signaled it will review the clauses against local realities before voting.
If scaled, it would mark the biggest restructuring of Nigeria’s policing since 1999 — trading a single force for a federal-state model, with oversight designed to prevent political misuse.
