On June 11 and 24, 2026, the Nigerian House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, singled out the state police constitution amendment bill for passage into law. This ends decades of agitation and advocacy for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system. I have argued on this page several times that this is the best way to go. Key highlights include empowering state governors to appoint Commissioners of Police (confirmed by State Assemblies) and establishing institutional safeguards to prevent the political abuse of state police. The Dual Police Framework replaces the singular national police structure with a Federal Police Service (handling border security, cybercrime, and terrorism).
The bill explicitly prohibits governors and politicians from directing police to target political opponents, ethnic groups, or associations. State Police Service Commissions will independently oversee recruitment, promotion, and discipline. The federal police retain the authority to intervene in specific cases like electoral intimidation, threats to national security, or severe human rights violations. States wishing to establish their forces must pass enabling legislation through their State House of Assembly and meet national minimum standards set by the National Assembly.
