Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has explained that the proposed State Police Bill have adequate constitutional safeguards among others that prevent governors and political actors from turning state police into private security outfits.
Abbas stated this on Wednesday at the National Security Roundtable held as part of activities marking the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja.
While acknowledging the people’s worry over hijacking of state police by governors or political leaders, the Speaker noted that the bill was deliberately structured to prevent such occurrences.
The Speaker said “I understand the concern that many people bring to this discussion, and it is a reasonable one. It is the fear that a State Police could become the private army of a governor or a political godfather.
“The people who drafted this Bill had the same fear, and they answered it.”
The proposed constitutional amendment will not give governors exclusive powers to appoint or remove state Commissioners of Police, he said, adding that the National Police Council appointments would make recommendation which will be subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly, before a state commissioner os state police is appointed.
He said removal would require the support of two-thirds of lawmakers and must be based on proven misconduct.
According to the Speaker, where necessary, the proposed legislation empowers the Federal Police to intervene where a state police becomes compromised, adding that this would be clearly stated under clearly defined constitutional conditions.
Abbas said “If a State Police breaks down, or falls into the wrong hands, or turns against the very people it should protect, the Constitution allows the Federal Police to step in… only in defined situations, only in writing, only for a limited period, with notice to the Governor and to the National Assembly within forty-eight hours, and always subject to the courts.”
The bill, he said, would not allow the Federal Government to dissolve a state police service or suspend elected state institutions, adding that the provisions were necessary safeguards for Nigeria’s federal structure.
Abbas said before President Bola Tinubu came up with the bill, it took decades of debate without decisive action.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President has made State Police a central part of national reform,” Abbas said, adding that Nigeria’s current policing system was no longer inadequate to meet emerging security challenges such as banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder clashes and attacks on schools.
Abbas said “a country as large and as varied as ours cannot be policed forever by one central Force run from the capital,” he said, stressing the need for security officers who understand local communities.”
He said the bill would change the name of the Nigeria Police Force to the Federal Police Service while allowing states that meet constitutional requirements to establish their own police services.
No state police service would begin operations until the State House of Assembly enacted enabling legislation and the state met operational standards set by the National Assembly, the speaker further explained.
Under the proposal, he said, the Federal Police Service would retain responsibility for terrorism, border security, federal offences and policing of the Federal Capital Territory, while state police would focus on maintaining law and order within their jurisdictions.
He added that state police services would be supervised by independent State Police Service Commissions, receive direct funding and operate under strict restrictions against the use of police powers for political, ethnic or religious purposes.
Citing examples from countries including Germany, Canada, India and the United States, Abbas said successful federal policing systems depend on national standards, intelligence sharing and strong accountability mechanisms.
The Speaker said lawmakers would thoroughly scrutinise funding, operational standards, intelligence coordination and the integration of existing vigilante and community security groups before passing the bill.
He thereafter called for a phased implementation model, beginning with the enactment of a National Minimum Standards Act before any state establishes its own police service.
The speaker added that “the National Minimum Standards Act must come before the first State Police issues a single directive: standards first, structures after,” just as he called for a sustainable funding framework to prevent state police institutions from becoming ineffective due to inadequate resources.
Beyond state police, he said Nigeria’s security reforms must include improved intelligence sharing, a national criminal and biometric database, stronger border security, better use of technology and improved welfare for security personnel.
