President Tinubu has agreed that the creation of new state police forces is necessary to tackle Nigeira’s escalating insecurity. He announced this on 6 September while receiving a delegation from Katsina Stater which is one of most severely impacted in the whole of the ravaged North. He said that the issue is being looked at holistically and pledged to discuss it with the National Assembly. The issue of state police forces is very controversial. Tinubu’s apparent support is significant because it shows that he would be willing to sign the State Police Bill into law if it is presented to him. 

Both chambers of the National Assembly are currently in the process of passing legislation to amend the Constitution. It would change from the current exclusive policing — whereby only the Federal Government can establish a police force — to the concurrent list, which will also allow Nigeria’s 36 states to do so. The House of Representatives passed the second reading of the bill in February 2024 and it is now at the constitutional review stage. In the Senate, the bill is still at the preliminary stage and has not reached a second reading. Both bills have to be passed by both chambers, then harmonised, before being sent to the 36 state assemblies for consideration. At least two-thirds will have to pass the bill before it is sent to President Tinubu for his signature which could take some months.

The establishment of the state police is becoming inevitable. Many have already created vigilante groups that virtually act as state police. Legally they are not supposed to be armed but most governors have provided sophisticated weapons to the groups which are being used to tackle insecurity in their states. However, because there are no regulatory guidelines on their operations, there is an increasing tendency for them to be used for informal security duties. In August’s Anambra State elections, the opposition parties accused the state government of using vigilantes to intimidate them but this was denied. The state police command did issue an order ahead of the elections barring all vigilantes from political venues during the polls. 

The main fear about state police is that they will be abused by governors. Critics are quick to cite how the latter have totally abused the state independent electoral commissions (SIECs) and fear that they will do the same with the new police forces. The counter argument has been that the Federal Government is already using the federal police units for its own purposes to intimidate opposition voters. The case against the new policy is being increasingly overwhelmed by the need to urgently tackle the rising insecurity across the country which has deluged the federal security forces.