President Bola Tinubu has formally transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police as part of efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s security framework.
According to Channels Television, the proposed legislation was conveyed in a communication dated June 15, 2026, and read on the Senate floor on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The bill seeks to create a legal foundation for a dual policing system that would allow state governments to establish and operate their own police services alongside the federal police structure.
Tinubu said the amendment forms a key element of ongoing efforts to reorganise the country’s policing system to improve security and provide better protection for citizens. Under the proposal, communities, municipalities and local government areas would assume more active roles in security and policing responsibilities.
Following its presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review and directed the committee to report back on Wednesday.
The Senate president stressed the importance of community-based security, arguing that local authorities are often better positioned to identify suspicious activities and share intelligence with security agencies promptly.
He said local communities would be able to detect potential security threats early and help authorities respond proactively rather than reactively.
Akpabio also explained that the implementation of state police would be carried out in phases through constitutional amendments and subsequent legislation by the National Assembly.
“We will do it in two phases through alteration and an Act of Parliament. There will be a lot of safeguards,” he told lawmakers, urging senators to support the initiative.
The Senate leader similarly appealed for full attendance at the next sitting, noting that constitutional amendments require the support of at least two-thirds of lawmakers.
He described the state police proposal as a non-partisan issue that transcends geopolitical and political interests.
The latest development comes less than two weeks after the Senate passed an executive bill on state police for second reading. Akpabio said the new Constitution Alteration Bill builds on that earlier proposal and is intended to provide the constitutional basis required for the establishment of state police services.
The move follows repeated calls by state governors and security stakeholders for decentralised policing as a means of addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
