Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Thursday passed a constitutional amendment bill that would allow each of the 36 states to establish and operate its own police force alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The bill received 289 votes in support, 1 vote against, and 0 abstentions, with 290 members voting in total, according to Speaker of the House Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
The proposal would create both federal and state police structures, subject to constitutional and legal provisions.
The vote brings the idea of decentralised policing closer to implementation as Nigeria faces several security challenges that have strained the centrally controlled system.
Supporters, including President Bola Tinubu, say a decentralised model could improve local response to issues such as insurgency, kidnapping, and communal clashes.
The House passed the bill with cross-party support. The Senate was expected to consider the same bill later on Thursday. For the amendment to take effect, it must also be approved by at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies, as required for constitutional changes.
Policing in Nigeria has been centrally controlled from Abuja since independence. Security threats differ by region, including insurgency in the northeast, banditry and kidnapping in the northwest and north-central, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist-linked attacks in the southeast, and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
State governors have argued that they are responsible for security in their states but do not have direct control over police operations.
Advocates of reform say state police could reduce response times, improve intelligence gathering, and allow recruitment of officers familiar with local communities.
President Tinubu has also pledged to increase recruitment into the federal police, which supporters say adds momentum to current reform efforts.
Critics raise concerns about potential misuse of state police by governors against political opponents or minority groups. They also point to questions around funding, training standards, and coordination between state and federal forces. Analysts note that states with fewer resources may find it difficult to maintain effective police units.
The bill will now move to the Senate for concurrence and then through other constitutional processes required for amendment.
