Nigeria advances constitutional reform to create state police forces

Nigeria’s Senate has approved a landmark bill that would allow individual states to establish their own police forces, marking a significant step toward reforming the country’s security system amid growing concerns over violence and kidnappings, reports Africanews with AP on June 25th.

The proposal would amend the constitution to decentralize policing, ending the federal government’s exclusive control over law enforcement. Under the plan, state police forces would operate alongside the national police service, with both sharing responsibility for maintaining public safety.

Supporters argue the move is necessary as Nigeria struggles with escalating insecurity. The country’s police force has faced criticism for being overstretched and unable to effectively respond to threats across vast rural regions, where armed groups often operate with limited resistance.

The reform would permit each of Nigeria’s 36 states to establish a police force that meets nationally defined standards. Meanwhile, the federal police would retain responsibility for counterterrorism operations, border security, organized crime investigations and other issues considered matters of national security.

Calls for decentralized policing have intensified following a series of mass kidnappings and attacks carried out by criminal gangs and militant groups. According to the United Nations, violence linked to armed groups has claimed tens of thousands of lives in recent years. Concerns have also grown as insecurity has spread into southern parts of the country.

Analysts say the current centralized structure has contributed to slow responses to security threats. State governors are officially regarded as the chief security officials within their states but currently lack direct operational control over police forces.

The proposal has attracted support from lawmakers across party lines and is being championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Similar efforts have been debated in the past but failed to gain sufficient momentum.

However, critics warn that creating state-controlled police forces could open the door to political abuse. Some fear governors may use local police services to target opponents, suppress dissent or advance personal political interests.

Despite clearing the Senate, the measure is not yet law. Because it requires constitutional changes, it must still receive approval from at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state assemblies before it can take effect.

Africanews with AP, Maghrebi.org