LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s Senate has approved legislation that would permit individual states to form their own police forces, setting the stage for a sweeping overhaul of how law enforcement operates in the conflict-stricken country.
The proposed change to the nation’s constitution would shift policing authority away from the federal government, which currently holds exclusive control over the country’s police. The federal force has been stretched thin by a growing security crisis, and the new state-level forces would work alongside it rather than replace it.
Security experts say a shortage of police presence in large rural areas has allowed militant and criminal organizations to operate with little resistance. According to the United Nations, these groups — including jihadist factions — have been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people across the country.
If enacted, the law would give each of Nigeria’s 36 states the authority to build a police force that meets a minimum national standard. The federal police would continue to handle counterterrorism operations, border security, organized crime, and other matters of national concern.
The bill has drawn support from both sides of the political aisle and is backed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. It has been discussed and debated on multiple occasions in the past and is widely seen as a potential remedy to the country’s worsening security situation.
Under President Tinubu’s administration, insecurity has continued to grow, with militant activity now spreading into the country’s southern regions. At least 80 schoolchildren remain in captivity after being kidnapped by armed groups operating in both the northern and southern parts of Nigeria.
Ikemesit Effiong, a partner at SBM Intelligence — a risk advisory firm based in Lagos — pointed to the recent wave of mass kidnappings as a driving force behind the push for reform. “In the light of recent mass kidnappings, the calls for a decentralized police have increased due to the sluggish nature of the government’s response to the events, which has been, in part, caused by the structural deficiencies of a centralized policing framework in Nigeria,” Effiong said.
While state governors are officially recognized as the top security authorities within their states, they currently have no direct operational control over police forces. That dynamic has fueled both support for and opposition to the proposed reform.
Opponents of the legislation warn that giving governors command over state police forces could open the door to abuse, with officials potentially using law enforcement to pursue personal or political goals and suppress dissent.
Before the bill can become law, it must receive approval from at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state legislatures, as it involves an amendment to the country’s constitution.
