…Senate Leader Bamidele says first-line constitutional funding will protect state police from governors, while House Speaker Abbas calls for sustainable financing before rollout
Nigeria’s Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has proposed that funding for the country’s planned state police services be entrenched as a first-line charge in the Constitution, arguing that guaranteed financial autonomy is essential to shield the new security institutions from political interference by state governors and other vested interests.
The proposal comes as the National Assembly considers constitutional amendments to decentralise policing by allowing state governments to establish their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
Speaking in response to concerns raised by stakeholders over the state police proposal, Bamidele said financial independence would be critical to ensuring operational autonomy, accountability and professionalism.
“The concerns Nigerians have expressed about state police are legitimate and deserve careful attention,” he said.
Constitutional Funding Key to Police Independence
Bamidele, who served as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said lawmakers are designing safeguards to prevent the abuse of state police by political office holders.
He explained that the proposed constitutional amendment would make funding for state police a first-line charge, similar to the constitutional financing arrangement for Nigeria’s judiciary.
Under such a framework, allocations to state police institutions would be automatically charged to state revenues, limiting the ability of governors to withhold operational funding.
“The Commissioner of Police and the State Police Service Commission should have constitutionally guaranteed access to funding so they are not subject to the whims of any governor,” Bamidele said.
He warned that leaving funding entirely at the discretion of state governments could undermine the effectiveness of the proposed security architecture.
“If a governor disagrees with the operational decisions of a state police service, he should not be able to starve it of funds,” he added.
Lawmakers Seek Safeguards Against Political and Criminal Influence
Beyond concerns over political interference, Bamidele warned that financially weak state police services could become vulnerable to influence from wealthy individuals, business interests, organised criminal groups and other powerful actors.
“It is not only politicians that could abuse state police,” he said.
“If funding is uncertain, business interests, criminal networks or powerful cabals may also exert influence because, as the saying goes, ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune.'”
According to him, the constitutional amendment will include provisions aimed at guaranteeing fiscal autonomy, institutional independence and professional discipline within state police services.
The proposed reforms would also transfer policing from Nigeria’s Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing both federal and state governments to operate police services.
House Speaker Calls for Sustainable Funding Before Implementation
Separately, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas said Nigeria must establish a sustainable financing model before launching state police.
Speaking during the National Security Roundtable at the National Assembly Open Week 2026 in Abuja, Abbas said funding arrangements should be clearly defined from the outset.
He proposed several financing options, including:
- A dedicated state policing fund;
- Shared policing services among states;
- Federal financial support tied to national policing standards.
“No state should establish a police force it cannot afford to maintain, and no unpaid officer should become a threat to the citizens he is sworn to protect,” Abbas said.
Gradual Rollout Recommended
The Speaker also recommended a phased implementation of state police rather than creating police services across all 36 states simultaneously.
Drawing lessons from countries including Germany and Canada, Abbas said Nigeria should introduce state policing incrementally while establishing national minimum policing standards before full implementation.
He also urged lawmakers to strengthen legal frameworks governing intelligence sharing, criminal databases, biometric systems, border security, technology deployment and inter-agency coordination.
Tinubu’s State Police Bill Receives Legislative Backing
Abbas commended President Bola Tinubu for transmitting an executive constitutional amendment bill on state police to the National Assembly, describing it as a landmark reform after decades of debate.
“For the first time in Nigeria’s history, a sitting president has made state police a central component of national security reform,” he said.
The Speaker noted that although decentralised policing could improve community security and local accountability, strong constitutional safeguards would be necessary to prevent abuse.
Checks and Balances Proposed
Abbas said the proposed constitutional framework already contains safeguards designed to prevent state police from becoming political instruments.
Under the proposal:
- State Commissioners of Police would be appointed on the recommendation of the National Police Council.
- State Houses of Assembly would confirm appointments.
- Removal would require a two-thirds majority of the state legislature and only for specified reasons.
- The Federal Police could intervene only under clearly defined constitutional circumstances, for a limited period, with notification to both the governor and the National Assembly.
He stressed that any federal intervention would remain subject to judicial oversight and could not be used to dissolve state police institutions or suspend elected state governments.
Security Reform Gains Momentum
The renewed push for state police reflects growing concern over Nigeria’s security challenges and increasing calls for decentralised policing in Africa’s most populous nation.
While supporters argue that locally controlled police services would improve intelligence gathering, community engagement and rapid response to security threats, critics have warned that state police could be misused for political purposes.
Both Bamidele and Abbas maintained that constitutional safeguards, financial independence and national operational standards would be essential to ensuring that any future state police system strengthens security without compromising democratic accountability.
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