President seeks constitutional amendment to empower states with policing powers; Senate to begin consideration Wednesday amid rising pressure to tackle terrorism, banditry, and abductions.

President Bola Tinubu has formally transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate seeking to establish state police in Nigeria, a move that could trigger the most significant restructuring of the country’s security architecture since the return to democracy in 1999.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the receipt of the executive bill during Tuesday’s plenary session, stating that the Senate would begin its consideration of the proposed amendment on Wednesday. Akpabio added that state governments had also pledged to review the bill simultaneously once it is transmitted to them, signalling broad political will to fast-track the reform.

The legislation proposes amendments to key sections of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework that would allow each of Nigeria’s 36 states to establish and operate their own police forces. The bill, if passed, would mark a radical departure from the current centralised policing system, which many security experts and political leaders have long criticised as ineffective in addressing the country’s multifaceted insecurity.

President Tinubu has been a vocal advocate for state policing, first calling on the National Assembly in February to initiate constitutional changes to enable states to take greater responsibility for securing their territories. He described the reform as essential to combating terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes that have plagued large swathes of the country, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions.

In his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President reiterated his administration’s hardline stance against criminal elements, vowing that terrorists, bandits, and their sponsors would face the full force of the law. He declared that no mercy would be shown to enemies of the state, while also highlighting security gains made over the past year.

According to Tinubu, more than 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in military operations within the last 12 months, and terrorism-related fatalities have declined significantly compared with previous periods. However, he acknowledged that the ongoing captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remained a “painful reminder” of the security challenges that still confront the nation.

The state police proposal has gained considerable momentum in recent months, with both the Senate and the House of Representatives advancing separate constitutional amendment processes aimed at devolving policing powers. The bill now before the upper chamber is expected to be one of the most fiercely debated pieces of legislation in this legislative session, as stakeholders weigh concerns about abuse of state forces against the urgent need for localised security responses.

The Senate is also scheduled to hold an emergency plenary session later on Tuesday, setting the stage for what lawmakers describe as an expedited legislative process. If passed by the required two-thirds majority in both chambers and ratified by a majority of state assemblies, the amendment would fundamentally reshape the relationship between the federal government and the states on matters of internal security.

Observers see the bill as a landmark test of Nigeria’s federalism and its capacity to craft homegrown solutions to deep-rooted security crises. With mounting public frustration over kidnappings, farmer-herder clashes, and insurgent attacks, the outcome of this legislative push could define President Tinubu’s legacy on governance and national cohesion.