Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has defended the proposed State Police Bill, assuring Nigerians that the legislation contains sufficient constitutional safeguards to prevent governors and political actors from turning state police into private security outfits.
Abbas gave the assurance on Wednesday during the National Security Roundtable, held as part of activities marking the 2026 National Assembly Open Week.
Addressing concerns over the possible abuse of state police, the Speaker acknowledged that many Nigerians feared the new policing structure could be manipulated for political purposes. However, he said the drafters of the proposed constitutional amendment had anticipated such concerns and built in mechanisms to prevent abuse.
“I understand the concern that many people bring to this discussion, and it is a reasonable one. It is the fear that a State Police could become the private army of a governor or a political godfather. The people who drafted this Bill had the same fear, and they answered it,” Abbas said.
He explained that under the proposed amendment, governors would not have unilateral powers to appoint or remove state Commissioners of Police. Instead, appointments would be based on recommendations by the National Police Council and subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly, while any removal would require the support of two-thirds of lawmakers and be based on proven misconduct.
The Speaker also disclosed that the proposed law empowers the Federal Police to intervene where a state police service becomes compromised. He noted, however, that such intervention would only occur under clearly defined constitutional conditions, be limited in duration, and remain subject to judicial oversight.
According to Abbas, the Federal Government would not have the authority to dissolve a state police service or suspend elected state institutions, describing the provisions as essential safeguards for Nigeria’s federal system.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for transmitting the Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly, describing it as a historic step after decades of national debate on the issue.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President has made State Police a central part of national reform,” he said.
Abbas argued that Nigeria’s current centralised policing structure is no longer sufficient to tackle emerging security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts and attacks on schools.
He explained that the proposed constitutional amendment would rename the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Police Service while allowing states that meet constitutional requirements to establish their own police services.
According to him, no state police service would commence operations until the relevant State House of Assembly passes enabling legislation and the state satisfies operational standards to be prescribed by the National Assembly.
The Speaker added that while the Federal Police Service would continue to handle terrorism, border security, federal offences and policing within the Federal Capital Territory, state police would focus on maintaining law and order within their respective jurisdictions.
He further stated that state police services would be overseen by independent State Police Service Commissions, receive direct funding, and operate under strict constitutional restrictions prohibiting the use of police powers for political, ethnic or religious purposes.
Drawing examples from countries such as Germany, Canada, India and the United States, Abbas said effective federal policing systems rely on strong accountability mechanisms, intelligence sharing and national operational standards.
He, however, assured Nigerians that lawmakers would thoroughly examine key issues, including funding, operational standards, intelligence coordination and the integration of existing vigilante and community security groups, before the legislation is passed.