The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the establishment of state police in Nigeria, saying the constitutional framework required for its implementation is nearing completion.
The Presidency disclosed that the move is part of ongoing efforts to address rising insecurity, strengthen grassroots policing, and improve rapid response to security threats across the country.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, recently stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains determined to ensure the actualisation of state police once the necessary legal and constitutional processes are concluded.
According to the Federal Government, decentralised policing has become increasingly necessary due to evolving security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence affecting different parts of the country.
President Tinubu had earlier appealed to the National Assembly to amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to accommodate the creation of state police formations nationwide. The President argued that state police would strengthen community-based intelligence gathering and improve security coordination at sub-national levels.
In furtherance of the initiative, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, inaugurated a committee in March 2026 to develop a workable framework for the decentralisation of policing in Nigeria. The committee is expected to address issues relating to funding, personnel distribution, operational structure, accountability, and oversight mechanisms.
The Federal Government also noted that the proposed state police structure would operate alongside federal policing institutions, with safeguards to prevent abuse of power and ensure adherence to national policing standards.
Meanwhile, legal experts and security stakeholders have continued to debate the proposal, with supporters insisting that state police will improve local security response, while critics warn against possible political misuse by state governments.
The proposed constitutional amendment is currently part of the ongoing constitutional review process before the National Assembly and would still require approval by at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly before becoming law.