The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has assured Nigerians that the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police will contain strong safeguards to prevent abuse by state governors.
Abbas gave the assurance on Wednesday while speaking at the National Security Roundtable held during the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja. He said the House of Representatives would carefully examine the bill to ensure that, if eventually passed, it would strengthen community-based policing without undermining democracy, national unity, or the rule of law.
According to the Speaker, the proposal is among the most important constitutional reforms currently being considered by the National Assembly, especially at a time when the country continues to grapple with security challenges in different parts of the federation.
He explained that lawmakers were aware of public concerns that state police could be politicised or used by governors to intimidate opponents, adding that such fears would be addressed through proper legislative checks and balances. Abbas said the National Assembly would not support any arrangement that could turn state police into a tool for political control or abuse of power.
The Speaker also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for backing the reform, noting that this is the first time in Nigeria’s history that a sitting president has formally presented an executive bill that places state police at the centre of the nation’s security reform efforts.
He said the move reflects growing recognition that Nigeria’s current policing structure may no longer be sufficient to address the country’s complex security realities, and that a more decentralised system could improve response time, intelligence gathering, and local engagement if properly designed and regulated.
