President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a constitutional amendment bill to the Senate seeking to establish state police across the country.
The development was announced during Tuesday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who said lawmakers would begin consideration of the proposal on Wednesday.
The bill proposes alterations to the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework that would allow individual states to operate their own police forces, alongside the existing federal police structure.
According to the Senate leadership, state governments are expected to review and respond to the proposal once it is formally transmitted to them as part of the constitutional amendment process.
The push for decentralised policing has gained momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly actively working on reforms aimed at improving internal security across Nigeria.
Tinubu has repeatedly advocated state policing, arguing it would strengthen responses to terrorism, banditry, and other security challenges. He first made a formal call for constitutional changes on the issue in February.
The proposal comes amid ongoing national security concerns, with the government highlighting both gains against armed groups and persistent cases of kidnappings and violent attacks in parts of the country.
If passed, the amendment would mark one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s policing structure in the Fourth Republic.
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