According to Vanguard reporting, President Bola Tinubu has formally called upon the 10th Senate to initiate a constitutional amendment to facilitate the establishment of State Police. Addressing lawmakers during an interfaith breakfast in Abuja, the President argued that the current centralized security structure is no longer sufficient to tackle the evolving threats of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.
In a report by Daily Post, the President was quoted as saying that decentralized policing is essential to “take over our forests from marauders” and protect citizens at the grassroots level. This move aligns with a previous consensus reached by the 36 state governors, who had earlier expressed their support for the initiative through the National Economic Council.
Validating this development, The Guardian noted that Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described the move as a “generational reform” that aligns with the aspirations of sub-national governments. ThisDay further confirmed the legislative momentum, reporting that Senate President Godswill Akpabio promised that the assembly would “prioritize the legal framework required” to bring the reform to fruition.
Echotitbits take: The shift toward State Police is the most significant structural change to Nigeria’s internal security architecture since 1999. While it promises better local intelligence, the primary concern remains the potential for state governors to use local police as political tools against opposition.
Source: StateHouse – https://statehouse.gov.ng/president-tinubu-to-senators-tinker-with-the-constitution-to-accommodate-state-police/, February 26, 2026
Photo credit: StateHouse
