KEY POINTS

• Most governors back state police, but Borno and Sokoto warn Nigeria is not ready.
• Constitutional amendments require approval by two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least 24 state assemblies.
• Kaduna, Plateau, and Kano have already deployed hundreds of local security personnel.

The Nigeria state police debate reached a new intensity over the weekend as worsening banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency forced governors, lawmakers, and security experts into one of the most consequential constitutional arguments the country has faced in years.

Most states now back the proposal. However, a bloc of dissenting governors argues that Nigeria lacks the institutional safeguards to stop state police from becoming tools of political intimidation, and those objections are shaping how the Senate approaches its constitutional review process.

Borno and Sokoto push back hard

Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang said the moment for action had arrived, declaring that state police would deliver faster threat responses. Kano Governor Abba Yusuf has already deployed over 2,000 personnel under a neighbourhood watch scheme and described the approach as professionalising community security. Additionally, Kaduna has trained over 300 personnel under its vigilance service, and Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti have pointed to outfits like Amotekun as proof that a decentralised model already works in practice.

Yet the Nigeria state police debate has a vocal opposition. Borno Governor Babagana Zulum issued a blunt warning, arguing that some governors could use a state force to eliminate rival ethnic groups. “If half of the power is given,” he said, “Nigeria will be in problem.” Stakeholders in Sokoto raised similar fears of political intimidation, and environmentalist Alagoa Morris cautioned that the security climate in many states makes misuse a genuine risk rather than a hypothetical one.

Senate sets the constitutional path

Despite the momentum building in state capitals, Afenifere National Organising Secretary Kole Omololu made clear that President Tinubu cannot bring state police into existence through executive action alone. Amending the constitution requires approval by two-thirds of the National Assembly and ratification by at least 24 state assemblies, meaning the legislature ultimately holds the key.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin has already inaugurated an eight-member committee to develop a framework, and the Senate’s constitutional review committee has conducted zonal public hearings across all six geopolitical zones. Senator Barau tasked the committee specifically with designing accountability structures and public safety mechanisms to address the fears Nigerians raised during those hearings.

Security experts broadly support decentralisation, citing faster intelligence gathering and improved response times as decisive advantages. Nevertheless, they insist that without serious safeguards on funding, training, and oversight, the reform could deepen political control rather than reduce it.