Senate advances state police bill at second reading, moving closer to decentralised policing reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s internal security

The Nigerian Senate on Thursday advanced a bill seeking to establish state police, as lawmakers moved a step closer to restructuring the country’s internal security framework.

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The proposed legislation, which aims to transfer certain policing powers to subnational governments, scaled through second reading during plenary and was subsequently referred to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for further legislative scrutiny.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio presided over the session, where the bill received widespread support across party lines, reflecting growing consensus on the need to reform Nigeria’s centralised policing system.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele led the debate on the proposal, describing it as a critical response to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. He said the current structure had struggled to effectively address rising cases of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes and other violent crimes.

Bamidele argued that decentralising policing would strengthen internal security and improve responsiveness to local threats. He maintained that the bill would not weaken national unity but instead enhance governance by allowing different levels of government to perform their constitutional responsibilities more effectively.

He explained that the proposed framework includes the creation of State Police Service Commissions, federal oversight mechanisms and uniform national policing standards. He also said safeguards had been built into the bill to prevent abuse by state authorities.

According to him, such measures include structured appointment processes, periodic review of state police operations and federal intervention powers in extreme cases of breakdown of law and order.

The Senate Leader further stressed that security delivery is most effective when it is locally driven, noting that officers familiar with local languages, terrain and community dynamics are better positioned to gather intelligence and prevent crime escalation.

He also highlighted that state police would reduce pressure on the federal police, allowing it to focus on transnational crimes, terrorism, cybercrime and protection of critical national infrastructure.

Lawmakers supporting the bill referenced examples from other federal systems, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany, where policing responsibilities are shared between federal and subnational authorities.

Senator Tahir Monguno, the Senate Chief Whip, also backed the bill, stating that it would provide a legal structure for existing informal security arrangements while improving accountability and coordination.

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The bill’s progress marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing constitutional review process, as debate over restructuring the country’s security architecture continues to gain momentum.