President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a constitutional amendment bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate. The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the Constitution to provide the legal framework for the creation of state police in Nigeria.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, disclosed this in a letter read during an emergency plenary session yesterday. Although the bill was transmitted with its various clauses, Akpabio did not disclose its details. He only stated that the relevant provisions were attached to the proposed legislation.
In the letter, Tinubu said his administration Tinubu said his administration was committed to reorganising Nigeria’s security architecture to adequately protect the lives and property of citizens. He said the proposed legislation would complement the version of the state police bill earlier passed by the House of Representatives to address the country’s growing security challenges.
The House of Representatives had on June 11 passed the state police bill, while in the Senate, the bill scaled the second reading and was referred to its Committee on Constitution Review, mandating the Committee to determine whether a public hearing is required before the bill proceeds to further legislative stages. The Senate thereafter deferred decision on the substance of the proposal at this stage, pending the outcome of the Committee’s consideration.
Under Section 9 of the Constitution, a constitutional amendment bill must be passed by both chambers of the National
Assembly, each by a two-thirds majority, in identical terms. Following passage by both chambers, the bill must be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly, where it requires the approval of at least 24 of them, before it is forwarded to the President for assent.
After reading the president’s letter on Tuesday, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review for further legislative deliberation. He directed the committee to report back to the Senate on Wednesday for possible final consideration.
However, with the president’s transmission of the constitutional amendment bill, it remains unclear whether lawmakers will still conduct a public hearing in line with parliamentary practice before the final passage of the legislation.
Over the years, there have been calls from some state governments and civil society organisations for localised policing as incidents of armed robbery, communal clashes and other security challenges increased.
A National Conference was convened during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014, where the participants recommended the creation of state police as a strategy to reduce insecurity.
But the spiral cases of banditry, kidnapping, and other terrorist activities have led to the demand from governors and political leaders for the creation of state police lately.
In the absence of a formal state policing structure, some regions have established informal security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-west, Ebube Agu in the South-east, and Hisbah in the North-west.
Despite promising swift passage of the president’s amendment, plans by the Senate to commence deliberations on the proposed state police bill suffered an unexpected setback as lawmakers suspended all proceedings at an emergency plenary session in honour of late House of Representatives member, Yaya Tongo.
The upper legislative chamber had reconvened during its recess amid heightened anticipation that senators would begin consideration of the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police formations across
Nigeria. However, the atmosphere in the chamber turned solemn when the Senate President formally informed lawmakers of the passing of Tongo, who represented the Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State.
The lawmaker died on June 12 at Nizamiye Hospital in Abuja after a brief illness, bringing an abrupt end to a political career marked by grassroots engagement and public service.
Tongo was first elected into the House of Representatives under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 before winning a second term in the 2023 general election. In March 2026, he defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), joining a growing list of lawmakers who switched political parties ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Announcing the decision to suspend legislative activities, Akpabio said the Senate would dedicate the day to mourning the deceased lawmaker and allow members to participate in funeral activities. Following the Senate President’s remarks, lawmakers stood in silence for one minute to honour the late legislator before the chamber adjourned.
The adjournment meant that consideration of several pending matters, including the state police bill transmitted by President Tinubu, was shelved till today.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly is considering a constitutional amendment that would place security funding in the first-line charge of the Federation’s revenue as part of efforts to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
The proposal is contained in Bill No. 8 among the measures recommended for passage by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review. The amendment seeks to alter Section 81 of the Constitution to include the Armed Forces among institutions entitled to direct funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
