ABUJA:  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transmitted a Constitution Alteration Bill to the Senate to establish state police forces across Nigeria. The proposed legislation aims to amend the 1999 Constitution to create a legal framework for state-level policing, forming part of a broader strategy to overhaul and strengthen the nation's security infrastructure.

During Tuesday's plenary session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio officially announced the receipt of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026.

Akpabio characterized the proposal as a major initiative to improve national security and increase community-level involvement in law enforcement. He highlighted that local residents are well-positioned to detect criminal activities, suggesting that decentralized policing would boost grassroots intelligence gathering and foster better cooperation between communities and security agencies. He added that state governments have signaled their readiness to implement the changes once the constitutional amendment process concludes.

The Senate President acknowledged the lawmakers for returning from their annual recess to deliberate on the bill and other constitutional amendments. He also recognized the Constitution Review Committee for its work, noting that the legislative proposal is the culmination of nearly two years of consultations and review.

The committee has been directed to present its report on Wednesday for further legislative consideration, as the upper chamber intends to expedite the bill's review before resuming its annual recess.

However, further deliberations on the state police bill were temporarily postponed until Wednesday following the announced passing of Representative Yaya Tongo, who represented the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State. The Senate observed a minute of silence to honor the late lawmaker, and Akpabio extended formal condolences to the deceased's family, constituents, and colleagues.