Tinubu sends state police bill to Senate, seeks constitutional amendment

President Bola Tinubu has taken a major step towards the creation of state police by transmitting a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate for consideration.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio made this known during plenary in Abuja on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Akpabio disclosed that lawmakers would begin consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment on Wednesday, June 24.

According to Akpabio, state governments are also expected to consider the bill once it is formally transmitted to them, paving the way for broader consultations on the proposed reform.

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The bill seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to establish a legal framework for state police, a move advocates argue would strengthen local security and improve responses to crime and insecurity.

The proposal aligns with Tinubu’s repeated calls for constitutional reforms aimed at decentralising policing and giving states greater responsibility for protecting lives and property within their territories.

The renewed push for state police comes amid growing calls for a more localised security architecture, with both chambers of the National Assembly currently advancing constitutional amendment processes designed to devolve policing powers from the federal government to the states.