President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police to the Senate.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police force in the federation.
The move follows repeated calls by the President for constitutional reforms to enable states take a more active role in safeguarding lives and property within their jurisdictions.
President Tinubu had, in February, urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state police, describing the reform as necessary to tackle terrorism, banditry and other security challenges confronting the nation.
During his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President vowed that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law, insisting that no mercy would be shown to enemies of the state.
Tinubu said more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the last year and noted that terrorism-related deaths had fallen significantly compared to previous years.
However, he acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remained a painful reminder of the country’s security challenges.
The push for state police has gathered momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment processes aimed at decentralising policing powers and enhancing internal security.
The Senate is expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers move to pass the bill and advance one of the most far-reaching security reforms in the country’s democratic history.
