Nigeria moves closer to creating regional police: 28 legislatures back the amendment

States back decentralizing the police

Nigeria has moved closer to reforming its law enforcement system: 28 of the country's 36 state legislative assemblies have approved a constitutional amendment allowing state governments to establish their own police forces. The National Assembly announced this on Tuesday. The approvals exceeded the two-thirds threshold — 24 assemblies — required to advance the amendment to the 1999 Constitution, Anadolu reports.

Where the procedure stands

National Assembly Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana said his office has received and verified legislative records confirming the votes and is completing the administrative procedures to forward the bill to President Bola Tinubu for signature. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the Assembly intends to complete the remaining legislative procedures and present the amendment to Tinubu before December.

Timeline and substance of the reform

The Senate passed the bill on June 24, and the House of Representatives on July 23. On September 16, the document was sent to all 36 state legislatures with a 30-day response deadline that expired on October 15. Nigeria's police currently operate under federal control, headed by an Inspector-General of Police. Under the proposed scheme, federal and state police services would operate in parallel, with provisions on appointing state commissioners of police and on their relations with governors. Advocates of decentralization argue that state police would improve local intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing, and speed up responses to kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, and intercommunal violence. The development marks a significant step in a long-running debate over whether a centralized policing system can adequately address security threats in Africa's most populous country.