State governors are intensifying efforts to secure greater constitutional authority over security operations in their respective states, as well as guaranteed funding for proposed State Police Services.
This development was highlighted in a report from a high-level strategy session attended by state Attorneys-General, legal experts, and senior security officials, convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat in Abuja last week.
The report, featured in the NGF bulletin and obtained by Gidipoint, outlines one of the most comprehensive frameworks yet for establishing state police in Nigeria, with detailed recommendations on operational powers, funding, personnel management, oversight, and federal-state relations.
According to the report, the meeting was called to harmonise proposals for a constitutional and institutional framework for State Police Services nationwide. The discussions were described as a “significant milestone” in ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security through a decentralised policing system that addresses local needs while maintaining national unity and constitutional safeguards.
The renewed push for state police comes amid escalating insecurity across Nigeria including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal strife, and violent crime which has exposed the limitations of the country’s centrally controlled police force.
A key outcome of the meeting was the call for explicit constitutional recognition of governors’ roles in coordinating security within their states. Participants reviewed legislative amendments under consideration, focusing on provisions that would expand governors’ authority over security matters while ensuring professionalism, accountability, and operational autonomy for state police.
This proposal is expected to revive debate over the scope of governors’ powers in security administration—a longstanding point of contention since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999. Although governors are often referred to as the chief security officers of their states, their actual control over police operations is limited, as the Nigeria Police Force remains under federal command.
The NGF’s recommendations arrive at a pivotal moment, following recent progress in the National Assembly’s constitutional amendment process targeting decentralised policing. Earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved constitutional amendments to establish state police, and the Senate has advanced similar measures.
These amendments would alter the 1999 Constitution to create a dual policing structure, empowering states to form their own police forces through legislation enacted by each State House of Assembly.
The proposed reform is widely seen as the most significant security restructuring in Nigeria’s democratic era, marking the closest the country has come to recognising state police after decades of advocacy. Calls for state police have intensified in response to waves of insecurity, including the Niger Delta militancy, Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, farmer-herder clashes, and kidnappings.
The issue was featured prominently at the 2014 National Conference, and over the years, various stakeholders—including governors, legal experts, retired security officials, traditional rulers, and civil society groups—have argued that Nigeria’s federal structure is incompatible with a centrally controlled police system.
The push gained further traction with the emergence of regional security outfits like Amotekun in the South-West, Ebube Agu in the South-East, and similar initiatives in the North. Supporters believe these demonstrate the growing necessity for local security arrangements capable of complementing federal agencies and responding swiftly to community threats.
Critics, however, warn that state police could become tools of political influence and abuse, especially during elections. These concerns are reflected in the NGF meeting’s emphasis on accountability, oversight, and operational independence.
The report also presented a cooperative federalism model for policing, where federal and state police operate within clearly defined constitutional and statutory jurisdictions.
Under the proposed framework, the Federal Police Service would retain exclusive responsibility for crimes of national significance such as terrorism, treason, narcotics, and interstate criminal activity while State Police Services would handle offences within their constitutionally assigned jurisdictions, particularly those defined under state law.
Stakeholders also deliberated on how existing police infrastructure would be managed under the new system, considering mechanisms for transferring or restructuring federal policing assets to support state police. Considerable attention was devoted to designing governance and accountability measures to prevent abuse.
One key recommendation was to include a rotating representative of State Attorneys-General on the National Police Council, thereby strengthening state participation in law enforcement oversight and policy formulation.
Funding emerged as a critical issue, with stakeholders insisting on constitutional provisions for predictable and sustainable financial support for state police. They recommended models such as transitional federal support and State Security Trust Funds, drawing on existing state-funded approaches to law enforcement.
The report warned that without guaranteed funding, state police could face operational challenges that would undermine their effectiveness.
Another major recommendation focused on personnel management, proposing that serving members of the Nigeria Police Force be allowed to voluntarily transfer to State Police Services, retaining their rank, seniority, and pension entitlements. This measure aims to address concerns over the future prospects of police personnel in a restructured system. To ensure smooth implementation, the transition would be time-bound, allowing for orderly workforce planning and institutional development.
The proposed framework also offers flexibility for states not immediately ready to establish their own police, with the Federal Government continuing to provide policing until states are prepared. This approach seeks to address disparities in institutional and financial capacity and ensure no state is left without policing during the transition.
The latest recommendations from governors, Attorneys-General, and security experts are expected to influence ongoing constitutional amendment efforts and could shape the final structure of state policing in Nigeria.
If enacted, these proposals would represent one of the most far-reaching reforms in the nation’s history, creating federal and state police institutions with clearly defined constitutional roles. The House of Representatives passed the relevant constitutional amendment bill on June 10, followed by the Senate’s second reading and referral to its Committee on Constitution Review on June 11.
