Amid rising killings, mass abductions, and worsening security failures across Nigeria, several state Houses of Assembly are moving to consider the creation of state police an idea long debated and recently endorsed by President Bola Tinubu. Last week, the president urged the National Assembly to legalise state policing as part of ongoing constitutional reforms.
Nigeria is facing a renewed wave of banditry, terrorist attacks, and widespread kidnappings. With fewer than 400,000 federal police officers for a population of over 200 million, many communities remain largely unprotected—a gap security experts say is driving the escalating violence.
President Tinubu recently declared a security emergency, directing the Police and Armed Forces to recruit more personnel. He also called on lawmakers to pass legislation allowing states to establish their own police forces where necessary. The proposal, already before the National Assembly, will soon be transmitted to the 36 state assemblies, according to Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
In Plateau, one of the states hardest hit by violence, lawmakers say they are ready to support the creation of state police. Assembly spokesperson Babakura Maina said the House will begin deliberations once the National Assembly transmits the proposal.
Kaduna Governor Uba Sani has also demanded the immediate establishment of state police, arguing that Nigeria’s centralised policing model can no longer protect the country. He stressed that many rural areas have no meaningful security presence.
Zamfara, the epicentre of bandit attacks, says it will soon send its own state police bill to the Assembly. Governor Dauda Lawal’s media aide, Mustafa Kaura, noted that the state has long pushed for decentralised policing and already operates Community Protection Guards to support federal agencies.
In Kano, lawmakers will take up the issue after returning from their mid-December recess. Governor Abba Yusuf’s spokesperson, Kamaluddeen Shawai, said security matters including state police will top the agenda. The state already runs a Neighbourhood Watch programme to bolster local safety.
Efforts to confirm Bauchi’s current position were unsuccessful, though the Assembly previously backed constitutional amendments in favour of state policing.
Nasarawa lawmakers say they have not received any formal proposal yet, but a spokesperson for Governor Abdullahi Sule acknowledged that state police would improve intelligence gathering and response times.
Ondo State says it effectively operates its own state police through the Amotekun security outfit and sees no need for further debate. Committee Chairman Tunji Fabiyi noted that Amotekun has been active for four years and remains one of the South-West’s most effective security structures. The governor recently approved the recruitment of 500 additional operatives.
Gombe lawmakers have yet to open discussions, with officials saying deliberations may begin after an upcoming retreat in Calabar.
ICYMI
Across Nigeria, there is growing consensus among state governments that decentralised policing is necessary to strengthen security. But without a constitutional amendment, no state can legally run its own police force.
For now, the country waits on the National Assembly to provide the legal foundation needed for states to establish state police and tackle the worsening insecurity.
