By Jane Okafor, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, to the Senate for consideration, in a move that could pave the way for the establishment of state police services across the country.
The correspondence, dated June 15, 2026, was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In the letter, Tinubu said the proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to create a constitutional framework for state policing as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
“I am delighted to present to the Senate for consideration the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to create a constitutional pathway for the establishment of state police services in Nigeria,” the President wrote.
Tinubu noted that the bill builds on previous legislative work already undertaken by both chambers of the National Assembly and introduces safeguards to ensure the effectiveness of a dual policing structure.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and the Senate and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving security challenges will be achieved quickly and effectively for the benefit of all Nigerians,” he said.
Describing the proposal as a major pillar of his administration’s security reform agenda, the President expressed confidence that lawmakers would act swiftly on the bill.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganise Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I am confident that the Senate will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” Tinubu added.
He further appealed to the Senate for speedy consideration of the legislation.
“While I look forward to the expeditious consideration of this submission by the Senate, please accept, distinguished Senate President and distinguished senators, the assurances of my highest consideration and best regards,” the letter read.
Following the reading of the correspondence, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution for further legislative action.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to provide the legal framework for the creation and operation of state policing structures nationwide, a reform advocates say could strengthen grassroots security and improve response to local threats.
The move also aligns with Tinubu’s repeated calls for constitutional reforms that would allow subnational governments to play a greater role in securing their territories.
In February, the President urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state police, describing the initiative as necessary to tackle terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security threats.
During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, Tinubu reiterated his administration’s hardline stance on insecurity, vowing that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law.
He disclosed that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the past year, while terrorism-related fatalities had dropped significantly compared to previous years.
However, the President acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remains a painful reminder of the country’s lingering security crisis.
Momentum for state police has continued to grow in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes aimed at decentralising policing powers to the states.
The Senate is also expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session, where lawmakers may begin deliberations on what is being described as one of the most far-reaching security reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history.
