Governors across Nigeria’s 36 states have agreed to ensure that the State Police Bill is passed simultaneously by their respective State Houses of Assembly once it is transmitted by the National Assembly, in what is expected to be a major step towards establishing state police nationwide.
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, disclosed the decision while speaking at the ARISE News Town Hall Meeting in Abuja, themed “Building a National Consensus for State Police and National Security.” According to him, the coordinated approach is designed to speed up the implementation of state policing across the country and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
Abiodun described President Bola Tinubu’s transmission of the Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly on June 24, 2026, as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“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.
He explained that the proposed legislation followed extensive consultations involving the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), state attorneys-general and other key stakeholders, noting that many of their recommendations were reflected in the bill.
Abiodun also criticised the current policing structure, arguing that although governors are constitutionally recognised as chief security officers of their states, they have little operational control over the police despite providing logistics, vehicles, accommodation and other forms of support for security agencies.
According to him, the proposed State Police Bill would significantly improve Nigeria’s police-to-population ratio by creating between 300,000 and 400,000 additional security personnel across the country. He added that the constitutional amendment would move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing states to establish and manage their own police services.
The governor, however, noted that further amendments to the Police Act would still be required to address issues such as recruitment, funding, training, oversight, service commissions and operational coordination between federal and state police.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, assured Nigerians that the proposed amendment contains safeguards to prevent governors from abusing state police for political purposes. He said decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and enhance responses to crime.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, also backed the proposal, saying the debate over whether Nigeria should have state police has effectively been settled. He urged stakeholders to focus on implementation, citing Enugu’s investment in surveillance technology, artificial intelligence-driven monitoring systems and a Distress Response Squad, which he said has reduced violent crime in the state by more than 90 percent.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the National Assembly would amend the Police Act after the constitutional amendment to provide the legal framework for the operation of state police, while former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole argued that governors should be given the authority to recruit, deploy and discipline officers if they are to effectively fulfil their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.
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