Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has defended the proposed State Police Bill, insisting it contains robust constitutional safeguards to stop governors and political actors from turning state police into personal security outfits.
Speaking on Wednesday at the National Security Roundtable during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week, Abbas acknowledged widespread concerns over the potential abuse of state-controlled police but maintained that the bill was specifically designed to prevent such risks.
“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,” Abbas said. “The people who drafted this Bill had the same fear, and they answered it.”
According to the Speaker, governors will not have unilateral powers to appoint or remove state Commissioners of Police. Instead, appointments will be based on recommendations from the National Police Council and require confirmation by the State House of Assembly, while removals can only occur on grounds of proven misconduct with the backing of two-thirds of lawmakers.
Abbas also revealed that the proposed constitutional amendment empowers the Federal Police to intervene if a state police service is compromised, but only under strict constitutional conditions.
“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,” he said.
He stressed that the Federal Government would have no authority to dissolve a state police service or suspend elected state institutions, describing the safeguards as essential to preserving Nigeria’s federal system.
The Speaker hailed President Bola Tinubu for transmitting an Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly, describing the move as a landmark after decades of stalled debate.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President has made State Police a central part of national reform,” Abbas said.
He argued that Nigeria’s centralized policing structure is no longer capable of tackling growing security threats, including banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder clashes and attacks on schools.
“A country as large and as varied as ours cannot be policed forever by one central Force run from the capital,” he said, adding that effective policing requires officers with deep knowledge of local communities.
Abbas explained that the constitutional amendment would rename the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Police Service while allowing states that satisfy constitutional requirements to establish their own police services.
However, he noted that no state police outfit would commence operations until the relevant State House of Assembly passes enabling legislation and the state meets operational standards prescribed by the National Assembly.
Under the proposal, the Federal Police Service would retain responsibility for terrorism, border security, federal offences and policing the Federal Capital Territory, while state police would handle law enforcement and public safety within their respective states.
He added that each state police service would be overseen by an independent State Police Service Commission, receive direct funding and be prohibited from using police powers for political, ethnic or religious purposes.
Drawing comparisons with federal policing systems in Germany, Canada, India and the United States, Abbas said successful models rely on strong national standards, intelligence sharing and effective accountability.
Despite his support for the bill, the Speaker said lawmakers would thoroughly examine key issues, including funding, operational standards, intelligence coordination and the integration of existing vigilante and community security groups before making a final decision on the legislation.
