BREAKING: Reps Approve State Police in Landmark Constitutional Amendment, Defer Other Reforms

By Emmanuel Kwada

The House of Representatives has passed a significant constitutional amendment establishing state police across Nigeria, marking a major step in the country’s ongoing efforts to address security challenges and strengthen decentralized policing.

The approval came during the consideration of constitutional amendment bills at the National Assembly, where lawmakers voted in favor of creating state-controlled police formations as part of broader reforms aimed at enhancing security governance and improving local law enforcement capabilities.

The decision represents one of the most consequential constitutional changes in recent years, following persistent calls from governors, security experts, traditional rulers, and civil society groups advocating for state policing as a means of tackling rising insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, and other criminal activities across the country.

Supporters of the amendment argue that state police will enable quicker responses to local security threats, improve intelligence gathering, and allow states to develop security strategies tailored to their unique challenges. They also contend that the current centralized policing structure has struggled to effectively meet the security demands of Nigeria’s diverse regions.

However, concerns have been raised in some quarters over the potential misuse of state police by political authorities, prompting calls for robust constitutional safeguards, oversight mechanisms, and operational guidelines to prevent abuse.

In the same legislative session, the House postponed consideration of several other constitutional amendment proposals to a future legislative session. Lawmakers indicated that additional consultations and deliberations would be required before decisions could be reached on the deferred amendments.

The passage of the state police amendment is expected to generate widespread national debate and will require further legislative processes, including concurrence by the Senate and other constitutional requirements, before it can become law.