State Police Bill passes second reading in Senate

A bill seeking to establish state police and devolve policing powers to sub-national governments on Thursday scaled second reading in the Senate.

The development is a major step in ongoing efforts to establish state police in Nigeria’s security architecture.

The bill was subsequently referred by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution for further legislative scrutiny.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, while leading the debate, described the establishment of state police as a critical reform aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture amid growing concerns over the capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to effectively tackle emerging threats.

“The establishment of state police will improve intelligence gathering: Local police officers are better equipped to obtain actionable intelligence from communities because they understand local languages, customs and social structures.

“Modern policing relies heavily on intelligence rather than force. State Police will significantly strengthen Nigeria’s intelligence architecture,” he said

According to him, Nigeria continues to grapple with a wide range of security challenges, including terrorism and violent extremism, banditry, mass abductions, farmer-herder conflicts, cultism, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, communal clashes and cyber-enabled crimes.

The Senate Leader added that the increasing complexity and localised nature of these threats have fuelled public calls for the creation of state police, as many Nigerians believe the country’s centralised policing structure can no longer adequately respond to security realities across the federation.

He said he sponsored the bill as part of broader efforts to modernise the nation’s security framework and strengthen cooperative federalism.

Contributing to the debate, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, expressed support for the proposal, saying it would help regulate the growing number of vigilante groups operating across the country.

“The bill will provide a legal framework for the establishment and operation of state police, enabling them to effectively discharge their responsibilities while ensuring proper regulation and accountability,” Monguno noted.

Earlier on Thursday, the House of Representatives approved the State Police Bill, marking a major step toward decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.

State Police Bill passes second reading in Senate