Nigeria's Senate has passed a landmark constitutional amendment bill that would allow each of the country's 36 states to establish its own police force, ending nearly a century of centralised policing and marking one of the most significant security reforms in the nation's history. The House of Representatives followed suit overwhelmingly, with 289 lawmakers voting in favour and only one against, reflecting rare bipartisan consensus on an issue that has long divided politicians and security experts alike.

Under the current constitutional arrangement, the Nigeria Police Force — headquartered in Abuja, the federal capital — is the only recognised police organisation in the country, with all personnel ultimately answering to the Inspector-General of Police. Critics have long argued that this structure, stretched across a nation of more than 200 million people, is too slow to respond to local threats. A lack of police presence in vast rural areas has allowed militant groups, bandits and criminal networks to operate with near impunity; the United Nations estimates that tens of thousands of people have been killed in related violence. At least 80 schoolchildren remain in captivity after recent abductions in both southern and northern regions.

The bill proposes a dual policing structure in which state police forces would operate alongside a retained federal police, which would continue to handle counterterrorism, border patrol and organised crime. Governors would appoint state commissioners of police, but the process would require involvement from an expanded National Police Council and confirmation by state legislatures. The bill also includes a notable safeguard: commissioners would be permitted to challenge directives they consider unlawful, with disputes referred to the National Police Council for a binding decision. Federal intervention in states would remain possible in cases of complete breakdown of law and order.

Despite the strong legislative support, significant concerns remain. Critics warn that state police could be weaponised by governors against political opponents, particularly during elections. Funding is another major obstacle — establishing and sustaining a police service requires substantial investment in personnel, training, equipment and infrastructure, and many Nigerian states have limited fiscal capacity. To address this, the bill empowers the federal government to provide grants to state police services, subject to legislative approval.

The bill is not yet law. Because it involves a constitutional amendment, at least 24 of Nigeria's 36 state assemblies must endorse it before it can be sent to the president for assent. If the Senate and House versions differ, a harmonisation committee will reconcile them first. Analysts say the reform, long debated and repeatedly stalled, has gained fresh urgency from worsening insecurity.