President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking the establishment of state police across the country.
The proposed legislation aims to amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police forces throughout the federation.
The move comes amid sustained calls by the President for constitutional reforms that would allow states to take greater responsibility for security within their territories.
In February, Tinubu urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state policing, arguing that the reform is necessary to effectively combat terrorism, banditry and other security challenges.
During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity, warning that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full force of the law.
Tinubu also disclosed that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the last year and said terrorism-related deaths had declined significantly compared to previous years.
However, he acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remains a stark reminder of the nation’s ongoing security concerns.
The push for state police has gained momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment efforts aimed at decentralising policing powers.
The Senate is expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers consider the bill, which is being viewed as one of the most significant security reforms proposed in Nigeria’s democratic era.