Tinubu Sends State Police Bill to Senate as Nigeria Moves Toward Major Security Reform

Posted by Chinenye on Tue 23rd Jun, 2026 - tori.ng

A major shift is unfolding in Nigeria’s security structure as a new constitutional proposal moves through the National Assembly, raising expectations of a possible overhaul in how law enforcement is organised across the country.

(President Bola Tinubu. Photo Credit; Daily Post)

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate, in what is being described as one of the most far-reaching security reforms in the country's democratic history.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for state police across the federation, following repeated calls by the President for constitutional reforms to enable states to play a greater role in securing their territories.

In February, Tinubu had urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state police, describing the reform as necessary to tackle t3rrorism, b@ndity, and other security threats.

During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President vowed that t3rrorists, b@ndits, and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law, noting that more than 13,000 t3rrorists had been neutralised within the last year and that t3rrorism-related deaths had fallen significantly compared to previous years.

He nonetheless acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren @bd*cted in Oyo and Borno states remained a painful reminder of the country's ongoing security challenges.

The state police proposal has gained momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes aimed at decentralising policing powers to the states.

The Senate is expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session to pass the bill.