Senate Moves to Fast-Track Bill on State Police Amid Constitutional Amendment Push

The Nigerian Senate has moved to fast-track a proposed bill seeking the establishment of state police, as lawmakers intensify work on ongoing constitutional amendments this week.

The bill, which has been a recurring subject of national debate, is now receiving renewed attention as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing and security architecture.

Lawmakers are expected to prioritise the measure alongside other key constitutional review items, signalling growing legislative momentum toward decentralising policing powers to state governments.

Supporters of the proposal argue that a state policing system would enhance local security responses, improve intelligence gathering, and address rising insecurity across different regions of the country. They maintain that the current centralised structure of the Nigeria Police Force limits rapid and context-specific responses to security threats.

However, critics of the bill continue to raise concerns about the potential for abuse by state authorities, including fears of political weaponisation, weak oversight mechanisms, and disparities in enforcement standards across states.

The constitutional amendment process provides a formal pathway for such reforms, but any changes would still require approval by a supermajority in the National Assembly and ratification by state legislatures.

The Senate is expected to continue deliberations on the bill alongside other constitutional review proposals in the coming legislative sessions.

If passed, the reform would mark one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s internal security structure in decades.