Chairman of the Nigeria Police Committee on the Establishment of State Police, Professor. Olu Ogunsakin, has described the House of Representatives’ passage of the constitutional amendment bill establishing State Police Services as the most significant breakthrough yet in Nigeria’s quest to overhaul its policing architecture, saying the country has finally moved from years of debate to concrete constitutional action.

Ogunsakin, in a statement, commended members of the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, for advancing what he called one of the most far-reaching security reforms since the return to democratic rule.

The House had on Thursday approved the constitutional amendment bill to establish State Police Services, a proposal that has dominated public discourse for years amid rising insecurity, kidnappings, banditry and other violent crimes across the country.

Although the bill’s passage was followed by a walkout by members of the minority caucus over the procedure adopted during plenary, Ogunsakin said the disagreement should not diminish the importance of what had been achieved.

According to him, while questions surrounding voice voting and legislative procedure deserve attention, they should not overshadow the constitutional progress already made.

“This is truly a significant and encouraging step forward for policing reform in Nigeria—and one that has been a long time coming,” he said.
“While the manner of its passage may keep certain procedural conversations alive, that should not overshadow the real progress already set in motion. The House’s approval of the State Police Bill brings genuine momentum to a constitutional question that has lingered for years.

“Even the minority caucus’s walkout, though notable, is a familiar part of democratic give-and-take. Vigorous debate is a sign of a healthy political process, not a threat to it.”
Ogunsakin argued that the move towards state police represents one of the clearest and most practical responses to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

He noted that the country’s highly centralised policing system has struggled to cope with diverse local security threats, making decentralisation inevitable.

According to him, the House’s decision has moved the debate beyond abstract arguments and created a realistic constitutional pathway towards building a policing system that is more responsive to local communities.

He acknowledged criticisms surrounding the legislative process but maintained that procedural disagreements should strengthen rather than derail the reform.

“Constitutional amendments naturally attract intense scrutiny. Some concerns over voice voting and plenary handling are understandable and deserve to be addressed. However, such issues should encourage greater transparency and wider consultation as the process continues rather than become reasons to abandon a reform that is widely recognised as necessary,” he stated.

Ogunsakin described the House’s action as a major boost to President Bola Tinubu’s security reform agenda and evidence that bipartisan support for state policing is steadily expanding.

He said the opposition’s reservations should provide an opportunity for further engagement to refine the final provisions of the bill, particularly safeguards, operational guidelines and oversight mechanisms.

According to him, the real task now lies with the Senate, state Houses of Assembly and other stakeholders to ensure that the eventual law creates a credible policing system with sustainable funding, strong accountability mechanisms and effective protection against abuse.
The professor explained that the proposed constitutional amendment introduces a fundamentally different policing structure by replacing the current single Nigeria Police Force with a dual policing arrangement comprising a Federal Police Service and separate State Police Services.

Under the proposal, he said, the Federal Police Service would concentrate on national security responsibilities, including terrorism, border security, cybercrime, interstate criminal activities and the protection of federal institutions, while state police would focus on local law enforcement, crime prevention and maintenance of public order.

He noted that the reform would also strengthen governance and accountability by restructuring the Nigeria Police Council to include the President, state governors, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police.

In addition, every state would establish a State Police Service Council headed by the governor to oversee policy, administration and accountability within the state police structure.

Ogunsakin said the bill equally introduces tenure security designed to protect operational independence.
He explained that the Inspector-General of Police would serve a single non-renewable four-year term, while State Commissioners of Police would also serve four-year tenures after appointment by governors on the recommendation of the State Police Service Council and confirmation by the respective State Houses of Assembly.
He added that the proposal clearly separates funding responsibilities by providing that the Federal Police Service would be financed through the Federation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund, while State Police Services would be funded by their respective state governments, thereby improving fiscal responsibility and public accountability.

According to him, one of the strongest features of the bill is the range of safeguards introduced to prevent political abuse of state police.

He said both the President and governors would be required to issue operational directives only in writing, while police officers would enjoy statutory protection to reject unlawful orders.

The bill also establishes Complaints Response Units in every state to provide citizens with formal channels for reporting misconduct by police personnel.

Ogunsakin further explained that federal intervention in the operations of state police would only be permitted under clearly defined constitutional conditions, including breakdown of public order, incapacity of a state police service, serious human rights violations, electoral intimidation or threats to national security.
Such intervention, he said, would require written presidential authorisation and would remain subject to Senate oversight and judicial review.
He added that the bill preserves national policing standards through uniform operational benchmarks while providing a two-year transition period for implementation.
During the transition, a Joint Transition Committee would oversee the redeployment of existing Nigeria Police Force personnel while protecting their ranks, pensions and other conditions of service.
Ogunsakin expressed optimism that the proposed framework strikes the right balance between state autonomy and federal oversight, saying it addresses long-standing fears about political interference without weakening national security coordination.

“If the remaining constitutional processes are successfully concluded, Nigeria will be on course to establishing a more responsive, accountable and community-oriented policing system that reflects the country’s federal structure while maintaining national standards. There is every reason to be optimistic that this reform can become a lasting pillar of Nigeria’s security architecture,” he said.