Stakeholders in Lagos have hailed Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill, describing it as a decisive step toward fixing Nigeria’s security challenges.
The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill to decentralise policing by empowering states to establish their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for State Police and Related Matters, 2026”, was passed after clause-by-clause consideration.
The House of Representatives had passed it on June 11.
Under the bill, states may set up police forces to handle law and order, while governors will nominate commissioners subject to confirmation by State Houses of Assembly.
The Inspector-General of Police will retain powers to set standards and provide oversight. Funding will come from state budgets and federation account allocations.
Reacting to the development, Mrs Temilola Akinade, Lagos IPAC Chairman and state Chairman of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), said the Senate had shown courage and leadership with the passage of the bill.
“The Senate has demonstrated courage in passing the State Police Bill. It will address a good part of our current security challenges We are elated as the umbrella body of political parties. We hope the President will give assent without delay so states can begin implementation,” Akinade said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.
He, however, stressed transparency and accountability in implementation, noting that the goal must remain protection of lives and property.
“We have lost too many innocent Nigerians and security personnel to terrorism and violent crimes. This reform can stem that ugly trend if implemented sincerely,” she said.
Also speaking, a former Lagos lawmaker Mr Jude Idimogu said the passage vindicated years of advocacy for decentralised policing.
Idimogu, who represented Oshodi-Isolo Constituency 2 from 2015 to 2023, said the Lagos State House of Assembly was among the earliest advocates of state policing
“We recognised long ago that a centralised policing structure could not address the diverse security realities across the federation,” the former lawmaker and Deputy Apex Leader of Ndigbo in Lagos APC told NAN
According to him, state police would improve intelligence gathering, shorten response time and enable locally recruited officers to work better with communities.
He, however, called for strong constitutional safeguards to prevent abuse, stressing that professionalism and respect for human rights must underpin the new framework.
NAN reports that the bill remains one of the most consequential reforms by the 10th National Assembly.
It must still be passed and approved by 24 state Houses of Assembly and signed by the President to become law.
(NAN)
