In a legislative communication dispatched to the House of Representatives, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally requested a constitutional alteration to permit the creation of independent state police departments. The executive bill aims to revamp the country’s centralized security model by creating a legally recognized dual policing system that integrates local and federal authority. The president expressed optimism that incorporating localized law enforcement will significantly improve response times to regional crises.
The proposed bill, which seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution, outlines specific structural safeguards designed to prevent potential political abuse by state governors. By introducing these boundaries, the executive branch intends to facilitate a seamless transition that balances regional autonomy with federal oversight. In his address to the lower chamber, President Tinubu urged federal lawmakers to prioritize and expedite the consideration and subsequent approval of the legislation.
Following the presentation, the House of Representatives took the strategic step of stepping down its own long-standing state police bill to fully adopt and work with the new executive-sponsored version. Lawmakers quickly guided the draft through its first and second readings before referring it to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for further microscopic assessment.
This key shift has been confirmed by other major national publications. According to *Channels Television*, the House of Representatives decided to “step back from its own constitutional amendment proposal on state policing and will instead proceed with a similar bill submitted by the Presidency”. Additionally, reporting by *The Nation* highlighted the broad consensus behind the reform, citing security experts who agree that a localized approach is necessary to tackle complex internal security threats, stating that “the creation of a dual policing structure is an urgent step forward.”
Echotitbits take:
Establishing state police in Nigeria is a double-edged sword. While it offers a highly localized, swift solution to runaway banditry and kidnapping, fears persist regarding how state governors might weaponize these forces against political opponents. Watch for intense legislative debates in the coming weeks as constitutional review committees attempt to establish ironclad federal guardrails.
Source: The Guardian – https://guardian.ng/news/reps-withdraw-own-state-police-bill-consider-tinubus-version/, July 14, 2026
Photo credit: The Sun Nigeria
