By Isiaka Mustapha, Abuja
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele have advocated a robust legal and institutional framework for the creation of state police, emphasizing that the proposed system must be underpinned by constitutional protections, uniform national standards, and secure funding mechanisms to safeguard it from political manipulation and misuse.
Open Week in Abuja, both lawmakers argued that state police can only succeed if strong accountability mechanisms and institutional protections are embedded in the proposed constitutional amendment.
Abbas said the executive bill seeking to establish state police has already addressed concerns about possible misuse of the system by governors, political actors, or influential individuals.
According to the Speaker, the bill provides that state Commissioners
of Police would be appointed based on recommendations from the National Police Council and subsequently confirmed by the State House of Assembly.
He also disclosed that the Federal Police would retain the authority to intervene temporarily where a state police service becomes compromised or experiences operational failure.
Abbas emphasised that no state police service would commence operations until the relevant State House of Assembly enacts an enabling law and the state satisfies nationally prescribed minimum standards approved by the National Assembly.
He explained that the proposed framework clearly distinguishes the
responsibilities of federal and state policing institutions.
The Speaker further revealed that the bill proposes the establishment
of an independent State Police Service Commission with direct funding
arrangements and restrictions against the use of policing powers for political, ethnic, religious, or personal interests.
Highlighting the need for reform, Abbas argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing system is increasingly overstretched in responding to contemporary security threats such as banditry, kidnapping, attacks on schools, and farmer-herder conflicts.
He advocated a gradual implementation process, recommending that national standards be fully established before any state police structure becomes operational.
would allow authorities to assess progress, address operational challenges, and strengthen institutions before wider adoption.
The Speaker urged lawmakers and stakeholders to address critical
issues relating to sustainable funding, intelligence sharing, certification procedures, and the role of vigilante groups before the legislation is finalised. He also commended President Bola Tinubu for transmitting the executive bill to the National Assembly, describing it as a significant step toward police reform.
In his contribution, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele stressed the importance of financial autonomy for state police institutions, warning that inadequate funding could expose them to undue influence
from politicians, wealthy individuals, criminal networks, and other
vested interests.
Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on
the Review of the 1999 Constitution, acknowledged public concerns arising from the experiences of regional police formations during the First Republic. He, however, noted that the ongoing constitutional review process is designed to ensure professionalism, accountability, and operational independence.
He disclosed that lawmakers are proposing a constitutional first-line
charge for state police funding, similar to the arrangement currently enjoyed by the judiciary. Such a provision, he said, would protect police institutions from arbitrary financial control by state governments.
The Senate Leader also revealed that states may be required to dedicate a specific percentage of their annual budgets to policing inorder to guarantee stable and predictable funding.
He cautioned that without sustainable financing, state police organisations could become vulnerable to manipulation by powerful political actors, influential business interests, and criminal syndicates.
Bamidele further explained that the constitutional amendment under
consideration seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby allowing states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Federal Police.
Other participants at the roundtable also advocated broader reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s security framework.
House Leader Julius Ihonvbere called for the formal integration of traditional institutions and community-based organisations into the country’s security architecture, noting that they possess valuable grassroots intelligence that could enhance crime prevention efforts.
Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), advocated
increased investment in intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency
cooperation, and responsible deployment of technology to address evolving security threats.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani recommended intelligence-driven
policing, integrated criminal databases, joint operational centres, and wider deployment of forensic, biometric, and artificial intelligence technologies to improve security management.
Similarly, the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Brigadier General Yahaya Abubakar (retd.), endorsed the establishment of state police, noting that a properly structured and adequately funded system would strengthen security at the community level.
Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry
Nwawuba, urged lawmakers to anchor security reforms on empirical research and global best practices, while Ambassador Dapo Oyewole, Secretary-General of the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures, called for deeper collaboration among
governments, legislatures, security agencies, and citizens in tackling
emerging threats.
