Governors of Nigeria’s 36 states have agreed to ensure the proposed State Police Bill is passed simultaneously by their respective Houses of Assembly once it is transmitted by the National Assembly, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has disclosed.
Speaking at the ARISE News Town Hall Meeting in Abuja on the theme, “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security,” Abiodun said the coordinated effort is aimed at fast-tracking the establishment of state police nationwide.
He described President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of the Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly on June 24, 2026, as a milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey, saying decentralised policing would bring law enforcement closer to communities, improve intelligence gathering and enhance responses to insecurity.
“What we aim to do is to ensure that all our Houses of Assembly pass this bill on the same day. What we see here is a dream that we’ve had for so many years unfolding,” the governor said.
Abiodun explained that the proposal followed extensive consultations involving the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), state attorneys-general and other stakeholders, noting that many of their recommendations were incorporated into the draft legislation.
He also argued that although governors are constitutionally designated as chief security officers of their states, they currently exercise limited operational control over the police despite providing logistics, vehicles and accommodation for security agencies.
According to him, the proposed state police system could increase Nigeria’s police strength by between 300,000 and 400,000 personnel, significantly improving the country’s police-to-population ratio.
The governor further stated that the constitutional amendment would move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, enabling states to establish their own police services. He, however, noted that further amendments to the Police Act would be required to address issues including recruitment, funding, oversight, training, service commissions and operational coordination between federal and state police.
Also speaking at the forum, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, said the proposed constitutional amendment contains safeguards designed to prevent political misuse of state police by governors. He maintained that decentralised policing would strengthen community policing, improve intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to crime.
Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah said discussions on whether Nigeria should establish state police had largely been settled, stressing that the focus should now shift to implementation. He cited Enugu State’s investment in surveillance technology, artificial intelligence-driven monitoring systems and a Distress Response Squad, which he said had reduced violent crime in the state by more than 90 per cent.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the National Assembly would amend the Police Act after the constitutional amendment to provide the legal framework for state police operations. He added that the proposed framework would guarantee financial autonomy for state police service commissions while introducing safeguards against political interference.
Former Edo State Governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole also endorsed the proposal, describing Nigeria’s current policing structure as contradictory because governors are recognised as chief security officers but lack the authority to recruit, deploy or discipline police officers.
He argued that granting governors such powers would enable them to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, while dismissing fears that state police would inevitably be abused for political purposes.