Tinubu seeks urgent constitution amendment for state police amid worsening insecurity

2026-02-26 08:30:15

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the leadership of the 10th Senate to urgently initiate constitutional amendments that would provide a legal framework for the establishment of state police.

According to a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu made the appeal on Wednesday during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa.

The President stressed that decentralised policing has become necessary to strengthen security at the grassroots level as Nigeria battles insecurity.

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What the President is saying

According to Tinubu, the creation of state police would enhance the ability of subnational governments to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions while complementing existing federal security structures.

He noted that Nigeria is currently grappling with multiple security threats, including terrorism, banditry, and insurgency, which require a more flexible and locally driven response.

_“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. _
“What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.

Tinubu added that such reforms would help reclaim forest areas from criminal groups and reduce insecurity affecting communities nationwide.

Flashback

In April last year, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, had announced that the National Assembly was drafting legal frameworks to pave the way for the establishment of state police across Nigeria.

The legislative move, he said, was one of several proposed measures aimed at addressing the escalating insecurity threatening national stability.

The Senate leader emphasized that the security challenges across Nigeria require urgent and practical reforms, including decentralizing policing to allow states to play more active roles in maintaining internal security.

“The Authority of the National Assembly is in the process of developing legal frameworks for the establishment of state police as one of the measures to address insecurity in the country,” Bamidele said.

What you should know

In recent years, Nigeria has faced a sustained rise in insecurity, with kidnapping for ransom and rural attacks becoming widespread security threats.

A Nairametrics report notes that at least 4,722 people were kidnapped in 997 incidents between mid-2024 and mid-2025, with the government paying at least N2.56 billion for ransom between July 2024 and June 2025 to free abductees.

Recent international reports alleged that the Federal Government paid as much as N2 billion in ransom and released two top Boko Haram commanders as part of negotiations to secure the release of 230 schoolchildren and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Boarding School in Niger State.

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