By Camillus Eboh and Ben Ezeamalu
ABUJA, NIGERIA, June 11 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s parliament passed a constitutional bill on Thursday paving the way for each of its 36 states to establish and run its own police force alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force, a long-debated reform aimed at tackling worsening insecurity.
The move brings decentralised policing closer to reality, as authorities seek to address diverse security crises that have stretched the centrally controlled system beyond its limits.
A decentralised model is seen by supporters, including President Bola Tinubu, as critical to improving local responses to violence ranging from insurgency to mass kidnappings and communal clashes, which have spread across much of Nigeria.
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted for the constitutional bill while the Senate was also expected to adopt it later on Thursday.
It is a major step toward allowing Nigeria’s 36 state governments to establish and manage police forces alongside the existing federal force.
The bill, which enjoys cross-party support, must still be approved by at least two-thirds of all state assemblies before taking effect.
Policing has for decades been controlled from Abuja, despite sharply differing regional threats: jihadist insurgency in the northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest and north-central regions, farmer-herder clashes, separatist-linked attacks in the southeast, and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
State governors say they are held accountable for security but lack operational control over police in their states. Reform advocates also argue state police could improve response times, strengthen intelligence gathering and deploy officers with better knowledge of local communities.
“Nigeria’s centralised policing model slows emergency responses because states lack direct control,” said Ayomide Akinwale, an analyst at SBM Intelligence.
The push has gained urgency as insecurity spreads.
In May, gunmen abducted dozens of students and teachers in separate attacks in Oyo and Borno states, highlighting the reach of criminal and insurgent groups across regions.
Tinubu has promised to increase federal police recruitment, giving the proposal greater momentum than previous attempts that stalled amid political differences.
Critics, however, warn governors could misuse state police against opponents or minorities. There are also questions on funding, training standards and coordination, with analysts saying poorer states may struggle to sustain effective forces.
(Writing by Ben Ezeamalu, Editing by MacDonald Dzirutwe and William Maclean)
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