State Police Bill Has Safeguards Against Abuse by Governors, Speaker Abbas Assures Nigerians

 

By News Beacon

ABUJA, Nigeria — Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has sought to allay widespread public concerns over the proposed establishment of state police, assuring Nigerians that the constitutional amendment currently before the National Assembly contains robust safeguards designed to prevent governors from transforming state-controlled police services into political instruments.

Speaking on Wednesday at the National Security Roundtable during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, Abbas described the proposed legislation as one of the most significant constitutional reforms in Nigeria's democratic history, stressing that lawmakers would subject every provision of the bill to rigorous legislative scrutiny before its eventual passage.

According to the Speaker, the objective of the proposed reform is not merely to decentralise policing but to strengthen community-based security while preserving constitutional accountability, democratic governance, and effective federal oversight.

He said the House of Representatives remains committed to ensuring that any state police structure created under the amended Constitution operates within clearly defined legal boundaries that protect citizens' rights and prevent political manipulation.

The debate surrounding state policing has, for more than two decades, been dominated by fears that state governors could exploit locally controlled police formations to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent, or influence electoral outcomes.

Acknowledging these concerns, Abbas said such fears are understandable but insisted they have been carefully addressed in the proposed constitutional amendment.

He explained that the draft legislation introduces multiple layers of institutional oversight intended to guarantee operational independence, professional policing standards, and constitutional accountability.

According to him, the proposed framework ensures that no governor would possess unchecked authority over a state police service.

Rather, appointments, operational oversight, disciplinary procedures, and emergency federal intervention have all been embedded within the constitutional architecture to prevent abuse of power.

Abbas argued that Nigeria's rapidly evolving security landscape has exposed the limitations of relying exclusively on a centrally controlled police system.

With a population exceeding 200 million people spread across diverse communities, forests, border regions, and urban centres, he said a single federal police organisation can no longer effectively respond to increasingly localised security threats.

He identified banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, attacks on schools, and organised criminal activities as examples of security challenges requiring faster response times, deeper local intelligence, and stronger community engagement.

According to the Speaker, decentralised policing would allow security agencies to better understand local terrain, cultural dynamics, and emerging threats while complementing—not replacing—the responsibilities of the Federal Police Service.

Under the proposed constitutional amendment, the existing Nigeria Police Force would be redesignated as the Federal Police Service, with clearly defined responsibilities over terrorism, border security, federal offences, protection of national assets, and policing of the Federal Capital Territory.

Individual states would only be permitted to establish their own police services after enacting enabling legislation through their respective Houses of Assembly and satisfying nationally prescribed operational standards established by the National Assembly.

Abbas stressed that the reform does not seek to weaken the federal policing system but to create a complementary structure capable of improving security outcomes across the federation.

To address concerns over accountability, Abbas disclosed that the proposed amendment introduces several constitutional safeguards, including:

Mandatory national operational standards before any state police service becomes functional.

Appointment of State Commissioners of Police based on recommendations from the National Police Council.

Removal of commissioners only through a two-thirds majority of the State Assembly and for constitutionally recognised reasons.

Federal intervention where a state police service becomes ineffective, unconstitutional, or poses a threat to public safety, subject to legislative notification and judicial oversight.

According to the Speaker, these safeguards are intended to preserve professionalism while preventing the misuse of policing powers.

Rather than introducing state police simultaneously across all 36 states, Abbas advocated a phased implementation strategy.

He said states should be allowed to establish police services only after demonstrating adequate institutional capacity, operational preparedness, and sustainable funding mechanisms.

Drawing lessons from federal democracies such as Germany, Canada, India, and the United States, he argued that successful decentralised policing evolves gradually and depends on effective coordination between national and sub-national security institutions.

The Speaker also emphasised that financial sustainability must remain central to the implementation process.

He warned against creating police services that states cannot adequately finance, noting that poorly funded security institutions could undermine public confidence and compromise national security.

According to him, lawmakers must establish a comprehensive funding framework before implementation begins to ensure officers receive regular salaries, adequate welfare, modern equipment, and professional training.

The renewed debate over state policing marks a significant turning point in Nigeria's constitutional development.

While previous administrations discussed decentralised policing without formally initiating constitutional amendments, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has become the first sitting Nigerian President to transmit an executive bill specifically seeking constitutional changes to establish state police.

The move has elevated the issue to the forefront of the ongoing constitutional review process, with lawmakers now tasked with balancing the country's growing security needs against concerns over democratic accountability.

Nigeria continues to confront complex security challenges that have strained existing law enforcement institutions.

Supporters of state policing believe decentralisation will improve intelligence gathering, accelerate emergency response, strengthen community engagement, and reduce pressure on federal security agencies.

Critics, however, maintain that without strong constitutional safeguards, state police could be vulnerable to political interference.

The assurances offered by Speaker Abbas therefore represent a significant attempt to build public confidence as deliberations on one of Nigeria's most consequential constitutional reforms continue.

As the National Assembly proceeds with consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas has reiterated that the objective of state police is not to create political security outfits but to establish a modern, accountable, and community-focused policing system capable of responding more effectively to Nigeria's evolving security challenges.

Whether the proposal ultimately secures the broad political support required for constitutional amendment will depend not only on legislative consensus but also on the confidence of Nigerians that the promised safeguards will effectively protect democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, and strengthen national security.