The Nigerian Senate has passed the State Police Bill with a series of constitutional safeguards aimed at preventing governors from abusing state-controlled police formations for political, ethnic, religious, or personal interests.
Leading debate on the bill, Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele said the legislation was carefully drafted to address longstanding concerns that governors could use state police to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent, or influence elections.
Under the proposed framework, governors are expressly prohibited from directing state police to unlawfully target individuals, political parties, groups, or associations. The bill also bars the use of police powers for partisan, ethnic, religious, sectional, or personal purposes.
To strengthen accountability, the legislation establishes a federal intervention mechanism that allows the Federal Government to step in where there is a breakdown of public order, serious human rights violations, partisan intimidation, electoral misconduct, or threats to national security. Any intervention must be authorised in writing by the President and communicated to relevant state and federal authorities within 48 hours.
The bill further empowers the National Assembly to set minimum national standards for recruitment, training, discipline, use of force, firearms handling, and professional conduct for both federal and state police services.
The Senate approved the constitutional amendment on June 24, 2026, paving the way for a dual policing structure in which state police services will operate alongside the federal police. However, the proposal must still secure approval from at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.