The Senate has explained how the proposed state police system will be protected from political abuse by governors, as lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment aimed at decentralising policing across Nigeria.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the bill contains multiple safeguards to ensure state police services are not deployed for partisan, ethnic, religious or personal interests.
Speaking during debate on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, Bamidele said the proposed framework seeks to combine local policing autonomy with strong accountability measures and federal oversight where necessary.
The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, June 24, after a clause-by-clause review and a manual vote that secured the support of more than two-thirds of lawmakers.
According to a statement issued by Bamidele’s office, the proposed amendment would allow states that choose to do so to establish their own police services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force for federal responsibilities.
The statement, titled “Senate Adopts Measures to Prevent Abuse of State Police by Governors,” read in part, “The bill is intended to retain the Nigeria Police Force for federal policing duties while providing for the establishment of state police services in states that choose to adopt them.
“Bamidele further broke down the details of the proposed decentralised police structure, noting that state police would be responsible only for enforcing state laws, maintaining public safety and public order, preventing and detecting crimes within their jurisdiction, protecting lives and property, and carrying out other local policing responsibilities.
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“On the responsibilities of the federal police, Bamidele noted that the federal police would be in charge of protecting federal institutions, counter-terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, border security, arms trafficking, interstate criminal activities, and other national security matters.”
Bamidele said federal intervention in state policing would only occur under specific conditions.
He explained that “the interventionary powers of the federal police could only be activated when there is an outright breakdown of public order in a specific subnational entity; when a state police service is incapable of functioning; when there is a serious violation of fundamental rights; when there is an established record of electoral intimidation; and when national security is under threat.”
He further stated that “such intervention could only come after the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces authorises it in writing. It would be limited in scope and duration, subject to Senate oversight and open to judicial review.
“The bill generally seeks to balance local policing autonomy with national cohesion, accountability with operational effectiveness, and federal oversight with state responsibility.
“The bill provides robust safeguards against abuse, preserves federal authority where necessary, protects constitutional rights, and creates a modern policing framework capable of addressing contemporary security challenges.”
The legislation must still be approved by the House of Representatives, receive presidential assent and secure the backing of a majority of state Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.