Retired military and police chiefs have expressed differing views on the extent of powers governors should wield under the proposed policing structure, warning that while decentralised policing could strengthen security, adequate safeguards must be put in place to prevent abuse.
Their positions come amid renewed calls by state governors for greater constitutional authority over security operations within their states and guaranteed funding arrangements for the proposed State Police Services.Newsmen reported on Tuesday that state governors were seeking greater constitutional authority over security operations within their domains and guaranteed funding arrangements for the proposed State Police Services, according to a report of a high-level strategic meeting involving state Attorneys-General, legal experts and senior security officials convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat in Abuja last week.
Also on Tuesday, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, rallied his colleagues to ensure full attendance as the National Assembly prepares for what could become one of the most consequential constitutional votes in Nigeria’s democratic history — the proposed amendment to establish state police services across the federation on Wednesday (today).
Akpabio’s move followed President Bola Tinubu’s formal transmission of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the creation of State Police Services.
The proposed amendment is expected to be debated when the Senate reconvenes today.
Commenting on the development, retired Brigadier General Peter Aro said state police should be viewed as a deliberate security reform rather than a political project, arguing that governors must be given sufficient powers to address local security challenges while operating within clearly defined limits.
“State police should not be treated as a political slogan but as a structured security reform. By design, they are an extension of state authority, funded and managed at that level, with clear responsibility for local safety. This will make each state invest in reliable surveillance systems and ICT infrastructure so that security becomes intelligence-driven rather than reactive.
“This also allows a federal command-and-control centre to integrate data from all states, giving the Federal Government real-time visibility of threats nationwide, something that is largely missing in the current system where weak intelligence flow and poor coordination often delay response,” Aro said.
The retired military officer maintained that state police should have broad powers over internal security operations, including intelligence gathering, investigations and community policing.
“State police should handle internal security challenges, including terrorism within their jurisdictions, while respecting clear constitutional boundaries. Matters relating to presidential and National Assembly elections must remain exclusively federal to preserve neutrality. Arrest, investigation, intelligence gathering and community security should rest with the states,” he stated.
However, he warned that mechanisms must be created to prevent politically motivated prosecutions.
“Where cases become sensitive or politically controversial, a neutral judicial-security panel or jury should review them before prosecution to prevent abuse of power. Some aspects of the Exclusive Legislative List can be ceded where security demands it, but safeguards must remain firm.
“Governors must be told to be decisive in the use of these powers, not to turn state security into a system of negotiation with terrorists and bandits. State police can strengthen Nigeria, but only if power is clearly defined, properly supervised and never allowed to become a tool for political misuse,” he added.
On his part, retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Ali Amodu said governors should naturally have significant influence over state police because they would bear the burden of funding and maintaining the service.
“The recommendation made to the National Assembly made two points: one for the Federal Police Service and one for the State Police Service. The one the governors will have a say in, as provided by the Constitution, which recognises them as chief security officers of their states, is the State Police Service.
“That is the one they will have control over. But when I say control, it is not a question of hijacking anything. They will be responsible for the maintenance, the funding and everything associated with it. It will be the responsibility of the state governors to fund the police in the state, provide the equipment and make them functional in the interest of the people resident in the state,” he said.
Amodu acknowledged concerns that governors could seek excessive control over state police but insisted that Nigeria’s worsening security situation required urgent action rather than endless debate.
“I think what people are trying to guard against is a situation where governors may want more control over the policing system in their states. But I have said time without number, let us commence, let us start it. The challenges we are facing now are so enormous that we should not be scared of the governor trying to have control.
“Any governor, what he will have behind his mind, is how to effectively utilise the police in the state to deal with insecurity. That is what is facing us now and that is why everybody is in support of the creation of state police.
“Let us start it. It is when we start it that we begin to see where adjustments are needed. Any system that has advantages also has disadvantages. Those disadvantages will always be there, but as we go along, we are going to correct them and get going. What is important now is that we need effective security more than ever before, so we should not be afraid,” he added.
Also speaking, retired Brigadier-General George Edim argued that governors should be trusted with greater security responsibilities in line with democratic principles.
“We should practise democracy the way it is supposed to be. We blame the centre for every little thing. If there is insecurity, we blame Abuja. If there is kidnapping, we blame those in Abuja. If there is banditry, we blame Abuja.
“The governors should be given the power, but they should be checked. Notwithstanding our fears, state police is desirable. We should not allow the fear that governors will misuse it to make us go against it. The advantages are far more than the disadvantages.
“The pros far outweigh the cons. It is more favourable than less favourable. If the governors are properly empowered and the structures are well established, they can take care of the security of their own enclaves. That is the essence of decentralisation,” he said.
Checks and balances
However, retired AIG Wilson Inalegwu expressed reservations about demands for additional powers by governors, insisting that adequate oversight mechanisms must be retained to prevent abuse.
“What powers are the governors asking for? What specific powers? This is the fear that some of us have always expressed. The framework essentially is on dual policing. The state police exist alongside the federal police.
“There are duties that cut across states which will remain under the federal police. Issues of cybercrime, very violent crimes like kidnapping and banditry, human trafficking and other offences that transcend state boundaries will remain within federal jurisdiction. The state police will deal with local issues,” he said.
Inalegwu argued that no democracy could afford to place the enormous powers of the police in the hands of political office holders without strong checks and balances.
“Because of the enormous powers of the police, in any democracy, you cannot leave those powers without checks and balances. That is why you have the Police Service Commission and the National Police Council. Those institutions serve as oversight mechanisms.
“If similar state police structures are created, there must also be state-level oversight institutions. The fear is that because somebody reported a matter or criticised a government official, a governor may say, ‘Go and arrest him.’ That is not how policing works.
“The police is a creation of law. There are procedures. There are offences for which you can arrest with or without a warrant. There are offences that require court orders. The commissioner of police is guided by law and by the rule of law,” he said.
The retired police chief insisted that governors already possess substantial security powers and that what some of them seek goes beyond legitimate authority.
“The power they want is excessive power. It is abuse of power they want. Even today, there is hardly any governor that gives a lawful directive to a commissioner of police that will not be carried out.
“But when you say, ‘Go and arrest this person,’ without due process, that is not the power the Constitution is talking about. The fact that a commissioner of police follows the law does not mean he is disobeying the governor. It simply means he is obeying the Constitution,” Inalegwu added.
Meanwhile, a frontline security expert in the Niger Delta region, Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (retd.) has advocated an independent commission that will advise and make recommendations to the state governors regarding the administration and policy formulation of state police.
Nesiama, the CEO of Top-Private Security Services Limited, made the call in a signed statement made available to newsmen in Warri on Tuesday.
He said, “There should be an independent commission that will advise and make recommendations to the state governor regarding the administration, policy formulation and the likes.
“State police can, to a large extent, checkmate acts of terrorism and banditry, reason being that every state will be required to safeguard its territory while establishing collaborating mechanisms between neighbouring states with a view to closing any security gap, blind spots and ungoverned spaces.
“The structure and bureaucracy in the present system makes it such that even intelligence gathered at the very local levels are hardly received in a timely fashion at the Police Headquarters level. Even when such manages to get up there, reaction time becomes extremely slow. The implication is that the criminal-related issue could have metamorphosed without being addressed.”
Nesiama added, “It is not intelligence failure because the intelligence are mostly shared but bureaucracy could prevent it from being properly utilised. It could be more of manpower failure than equipment failure. It is that manpower failure that the state police would first seek to address. You also need the right manpower to be able to properly man the equipment.
“It is pertinent to note that intelligence can be derived directly through human beings (Humint) or through electronic means (Elint) to mention a few. These two cover manpower and equipment means of intelligence collection.”
Akpabio rallies senators
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday appealed to senators to ensure full attendance during the debate today amid renewed momentum for the long-debated decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system, a reform widely advocated by security experts, governors and community leaders as a response to persistent challenges posed by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The Senate had reconvened from its recess with expectations that lawmakers would begin accelerated consideration of the State Police Bill transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for the establishment of state police alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
However, proceedings were overshadowed by the death of a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yaya Tongo, who represented the Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State.
His death forced the Senate to suspend legislative business on Tuesday as lawmakers observed a minute’s silence in his honour.
Announcing the suspension of proceedings, Akpabio said, “Let me mention that we will not go into any other discussion today. With heavy hearts, I announce the passing of our Honourable Member of the House of Representatives, Mallam Yaya Tongo, representing the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State, who died during this brief recess and is being committed to Mother Earth.
“Let me say that our sympathies go with the family. Our consolation to the children and his soul should rest in peace.
“However, in line with our tradition, we will observe one minute’s silence and then recess from the hall to come back for our constitutional duty tomorrow (today). May we rise to observe one minute’s silence.”
Following the tribute, senators adjourned plenary until Wednesday, when lawmakers are expected to resume consideration of the constitutional amendment.
Before the adjournment, Akpabio described the State Police Bill as a landmark reform capable of reshaping Nigeria’s security architecture and strengthening grassroots security management.
He stressed that constitutional amendments required broad participation by lawmakers and urged senators to treat the exercise as a national responsibility.
He said, “Since 1960, Nigeria has not had the courage to decentralise policing, and this is the first time.
“As we struggle to become senators, let us also remember the responsibilities of being a senator. It is not enough for us to look for tickets. And when we get them, we don’t come to the chambers.”
The Senate President noted that the proposed amendment would create the legal framework for state police services while introducing safeguards to prevent possible abuse of powers by state authorities.
According to him, decentralising policing would deepen community-based security by bringing local governments, traditional institutions, village leaders, youth groups and other grassroots stakeholders into security management.
He argued that communities were often better positioned to identify suspicious movements and criminal activities within their environments.
The Senate President also directed the Senate Committee on Constitution Review to submit its report by Wednesday, June 24, to enable immediate legislative action.
Tinubu’s security reform
Reading the President’s letter to lawmakers, Akpabio said Tinubu described the amendment as “critical to reorganising Nigeria’s security architecture” and urged the National Assembly to act swiftly.
The Senate President disclosed that the chamber intended to streamline the process and transmit the bill to state Houses of Assembly as quickly as possible.
“The Senate intends to streamline the process and transmit the bill to state Houses of Assembly as quickly as possible,” Akpabio said.
The proposal, which was first read in the Senate on June 15, 2026, was referred to the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution with a directive to report back within days.
The move represents the strongest federal backing yet for state policing, a proposal that has repeatedly failed to secure the constitutional support required for implementation.
Quorum challenge
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, also stressed the importance of lawmakers’ attendance, warning that the chamber must meet the constitutional requirement for voting on amendments.
He said, “We need a minimum of two-thirds of distinguished senators to be able to vote on constitutional alteration. That means it is important for all of us to be here.”
The Senate Leader described the bill as a national issue that transcends political affiliations and regional interests.
He urged senators to reach out to absent colleagues and ensure they participate in the vote.
For a constitutional amendment to succeed, it must secure the support of at least two-thirds of members of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
It must also be approved by no fewer than 24 state Houses of Assembly before being transmitted to the President for assent.
Governors demand greater security role
The push for state police has also received backing from state governors, who have demanded greater constitutional authority over security operations within their jurisdictions.
A strategic meeting convened by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat in Abuja, involving state Attorneys-General, legal experts and security officials, examined proposals on operational powers, funding, personnel management, oversight structures and the relationship between federal and state police formations.
The meeting’s report described the move as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture through a decentralised policing system.
A key recommendation was greater constitutional recognition of governors’ roles in coordinating security operations.
Although governors are often referred to as chief security officers of their states, they currently exercise limited direct control over police operations because the Nigeria Police Force remains under federal command.
Supporters of state police argue that local control would improve intelligence gathering, enhance community trust and enable faster responses to security threats.
Critics, however, have expressed concerns over possible political interference, abuse of powers and the financial burden of sustaining separate police structures.
Historic vote ahead
The proposed amendment, if passed by the National Assembly and ratified by the required number of state Houses of Assembly, the legislation would mark the most far-reaching restructuring of Nigeria’s policing system since independence.
The reform is seen by its proponents as a major shift from a centralised security model to a more community-focused approach.
As lawmakers prepare for the vote, Akpabio’s call for full attendance reflects the significance of the moment.
The outcome of Wednesday’s sitting could determine whether Nigeria finally moves closer to establishing a decentralised policing system after decades of debate.
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