Historic Shift: Senate Passes State Police Bill, Retains Strong Federal Emergency Intervention Powers

Akpabio optimistic banditry will be defeated in 2026

ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Nigerian Senate has officially passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, marking a historic and fundamental reorganization of the country’s internal security architecture. The breakthrough came following a closed-door executive session where leadership urged lawmakers to treat the bill as an urgent national security priority.

The freshly passed legislation establishes a legal framework for individual states to create and run their own autonomous State Police Services, completely replacing the centralized monopoly of the current Nigeria Police Force. However, to balance local control with national stability, the federal government has retained expansive oversight.

Under Section 214 of the new bill, the Federal Police Service preserves the ultimate authority to step in and assume temporary operational command of any state’s police force under specific conditions, such as an imminent breakdown of public order or direct threats to national security. States are required to pass matching legislation through their respective Houses of Assembly and meet strict national minimum standards before deploying their forces.