* Proposal seeks constitutional backing for state-controlled policing nationwide
* Bamidele says reform will tackle insecurity, strengthen federalism
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
In what could become the most far-reaching restructuring of Nigeria’s internal security architecture since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the Senate on Wednesday passed for further constitutional processing President Bola Tinubu’s State Police Bill, 2026, setting the stage for a nationwide shift from a centrally controlled policing system to a dual federal-state policing framework.
The landmark proposal, which seeks to amend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, would empower states to establish and operate their own police services while retaining a Federal Police Service with overarching responsibility for national security, terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, arms trafficking and other offences with interstate or international dimensions.
