Nigeria’s Senate has passed a major constitutional amendment bill establishing state police across the 36 states of the federation.
The landmark legislation, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, will replace the current Nigeria Police Force (NPF) structure with a dual policing system made up of the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The move marks a significant shift from Nigeria’s long-standing centralised policing system towards a federal policing model.
During the voting process, the Senate experienced a technical failure that affected its electronic voting system for more than 30 minutes. Lawmakers later adopted a manual voting method, with 88 senators present approving the bill through a show of hands.
The new law introduces safeguards to prevent state governors from using state police for political intimidation, ethnic discrimination, or targeting opponents.
Under the amended Section 214 of the Constitution, states must meet national minimum standards approved by the National Assembly before establishing their police services.
The Federal Police Service will retain control over national security matters, terrorism, cybercrime, international crimes, arms trafficking, and other major security issues.
State police will focus on internal security within their states and will not operate outside state boundaries unless authorised by federal law.
The bill also gives the President powers to temporarily take control of a state police service in cases of serious security failure, human rights violations, political abuse, or inability of the state police to function effectively.
Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said the reform would improve security by allowing states to respond faster to local challenges such as kidnapping, banditry, and communal conflicts.
The legislation also sets rules for appointing and removing police chiefs to reduce political interference. The Inspector-General of Police will lead the Federal Police Service, while each state police service will be headed by a Commissioner of Police.
The bill now moves forward as one of the most significant security reforms since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
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