Rising insecurity: State Assemblies push to debate State Police
Amid mounting concerns over killings, mass abductions and widespread security failures across Nigeria, several state Houses of Assembly have initiated moves to debate the establishment of state police.
The push follows a recent call by Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the national legislature to legalise the creation of state police as part of sweeping constitutional reforms.
Under the proposal, state-level police forces would be created to bolster security, a move many believe is necessary given the strain on the existing federal police structure, which numbers fewer than 400,000 officers for a population exceeding 200 million.
Several state assemblies have already voiced support. In one of the hardest‑hit regions, the Plateau State House of Assembly said it is prepared to back state police legislation as a solution to recurring violence and displacement.
Legislators in Sokoto State House of Assembly, Borno State House of Assembly and others similarly pledged readiness to fast‑track any bill for state policing as soon as it’s transmitted to them.
Still, legal and constitutional hurdles remain: without an amendment to the constitution, no state can legally create an independent police force. The growing consensus among states, however, puts pressure on the National Assembly of Nigeria to finalise and pass the enabling legislation.
As calls for state police intensify nationwide, many Nigerians and officials now watch closely, hoping for a shift that might strengthen security, especially in communities long overwhelmed by banditry, kidnapping and insurgency.