The National Assembly has begun the process of amending the 1999 Constitution to allow the creation of state police, marking what could be one of the most far-reaching constitutional reforms in recent history.
Entitled ‘the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill 2025,’ the proposed legislation seeks to replace the existing centralised police structure with a dual system—comprising the Federal Police Service and the State Police Services.
The bill proposes amendments across fundamental rights, funding, and institutional control of policing.
According to the draft obtained by BusinessDay, the first set of alterations affects the fundamental rights provisions. Section 34, which focuses on the right to dignity, will replace references to the ‘Nigeria Police Force’ with ‘Police or other Security Agencies established by law.’
Similarly, Section 35 on personal liberty will undergo the same substitution.
The amendment also extends to Section 39, which guarantees freedom of expression, and Section 42, which prohibits discrimination.
The bill further introduces financial reforms. Section 81 on authorisation of expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue Fund will be altered to include ‘the Federal Police Service and other federal security agencies’ as beneficiaries of direct statutory transfers.
Section 121 provides that “state Houses of Assembly, state judiciaries, and newly established state police services will all receive direct funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of their respective states.”
Other sections to be amended include Section 84, which replaces the ‘Nigeria Police Council and Police Service Commission’ with ‘National Police Council and Federal Police Service Commission.’
Section 89 mandates that warrants and summonses will now be executed by the Federal Police instead of the Nigeria Police Force. Section 129 confers powers of evidence execution at the state level on state police rather than federal officers.
The reorganisation extends further. Section 153 establishes new federal institutions—the National Police Council and the Federal Police Service Commission—while Section 154 ensures police representation in appointments. Section 157 replaces the Nigeria Police Council with the National Police Council, while Section 158 adds the Federal Police Service Commission to the list of independent bodies. Section 162 introduces a new special account for the Federal Police Service.
At the state level, Section 197 establishes a State Police and other State Security Agencies Commission, as well as a State Police Council. Section 201 extends removal provisions to cover these new institutions, while Section 202 guarantees their independence..
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Perhaps the most consequential change is the repeal of Section 214, which currently prohibits the creation of any other police forces.
The new provision creates a Federal Police Service and empowers states, upon meeting guidelines from the National Police Council, to establish their own police services responsible for local security, while the Federal Police will retain jurisdiction over federal crimes, interstate issues, and national security.
Section 215 is rewritten to provide for the appointment of an Inspector-General of the Federal Police Service by the President, subject to Senate confirmation, and for state governors to appoint Chiefs of State Police, subject to state legislative approval. A new Section 216A outlines the powers of the National Police Council, including oversight of state police and recommending the removal of police chiefs.
Concurrent list
The Second Schedule moves policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List, allowing both federal and state legislatures to make security laws.
The Third Schedule is also revised to redefine the composition and powers of the National Police Council and the Federal Police Service Commission, while creating equivalent state-level bodies.
The bill further proposes the creation of a State Security Council, chaired by each state governor and comprising the deputy governor, speaker of the state assembly, commissioners, commissioner of police, and traditional rulers, “to advise the governor on security matters within the state.”
An explanatory memorandum states that the objective is to “create a more responsive security system by devolving policing powers to states, while retaining federal oversight to prevent abuse and ensure adherence to democratic standards.”
Lawmakers React
Yemi Adaramodu, Senate spokesperson, said that a constitutional amendment is unavoidable.
“It is provided in the constitution that there will be a unitary police, which is going to be controlled by the federal government, with the control command in the hand of the President of the country. It is there in the constitution.
“So, if there is going to be a state police, we have to amend those sections in the constitution,” he said.
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He noted that the demand for state policing emerged strongly during zonal constitutional review sessions.
“Part of what we are hearing from the zonal constitutional hearings that we had with political stakeholders and our constituents is the issue of a state police. And we believe that to combat the current security reality that we are facing now, we think we have to domesticate security, because every security, like politics, is local. So, if every security is local, then it means that we need to have a local police system, which we can regulate to state police,” he explained.
Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate leader, supported the proposal, describing it as consistent with global practices.
“Every community is asking for security. The current police system is not keeping up with the security realities across the country,” he said.
“The idea of state policing is not new; it’s consistent with global practices. Those opposing it are playing ostrich.
“We need a layered security system where local officers understand their communities, their languages, and their people. This is how we can better tackle insecurity.”
Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), urged caution, suggesting a phased approach.
“I strongly believe that state police is desirable for a country like Nigeria but it has to evolve. It can’t be taken just at once. We have to do it bit by bit. First, let us start with community policing which we haven’t strongly put down and see how workable it is.
“When we are able to do community policing, we will be able to determine how far we can go to the extent of having state police and then we have a federal police,” Musa said.
Adebo Ogundoyin, chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, also declared support. “The State Police bill should be passed and sent to the states for approval. We are fully behind this initiative,” he stated.
But Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), opposed the plan, warning against rushing into state policing.
“We don’t have enough police officers. Nigeria has fewer than 400,000 police officers for a population of over 230 million.
“Instead of creating state police, let’s first increase the number of federal officers, train, equip, and arm them properly. Without addressing these fundamental issues, state police would just be another layer of inadequacy,” Ndume argued.
