Abbas: State police must comply with prescribed national standards

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called for a phased implementation of state police across Nigeria, insisting that no state should establish its own police service without first meeting nationally prescribed standards. Abbas made the call on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the National Security Roundtable held as […]

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called for a phased implementation of state police across Nigeria, insisting that no state should establish its own police service without first meeting nationally prescribed standards.

Abbas made the call on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the National Security Roundtable held as part of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja.

He said while the proposed constitutional amendment on state police would mark a major shift in Nigeria’s security architecture, its success would depend on strong safeguards, uniform operational standards, sustainable funding and effective coordination between federal and state security agencies.

The Speaker described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to transmit an Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly as a bold step towards addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

“For the first time in our history, a sitting President has made State Police a central part of national reform,” Abbas said, adding that the move demonstrated political courage after decades of debate on the issue.

He argued that Nigeria’s growing population and widespread insecurity had exposed the limitations of a centrally controlled police force.

“A country as large and as varied as ours cannot be policed forever by one central Force run from the capital,” he said, citing banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts and attacks on schools as security threats requiring local knowledge and accountability.

Abbas explained that under the Executive Bill, the Nigeria Police Force would be renamed the Federal Police Service, while states would be empowered to establish their own police services through legislation passed by their respective Houses of Assembly.

According to him, a state police service would only commence operations after meeting national minimum standards to be set by the National Assembly.

He said the Federal Police Service would retain responsibility for federal offences, terrorism, border security and policing the Federal Capital Territory, while state police would handle routine law enforcement within their jurisdictions.

To address concerns over possible political abuse, Abbas said the bill provides institutional safeguards, including independent State Police Service Commissions, direct funding mechanisms and constitutional restrictions against the misuse of police powers for political, ethnic or religious purposes.

He added that commissioners of police in the states would be appointed on the recommendation of the National Police Council and confirmed by state assemblies, while their removal would require a two-thirds majority of the legislature and must be based on proven misconduct.

The Speaker also said the Federal Police would only be permitted to intervene in the affairs of a state police service under clearly defined constitutional circumstances and for a limited period, subject to legislative and judicial oversight.

Drawing lessons from Germany, Canada, India and the United States, Abbas said decentralised policing succeeds only where national standards, shared intelligence systems and accountability mechanisms are firmly entrenched.

He warned against creating multiple police organisations without effective coordination, saying such an arrangement could undermine national security.

Abbas stressed that beyond establishing state police, Nigeria must invest in integrated criminal and biometric databases, intelligence-sharing platforms, border security, technology and improved welfare for security personnel.

He proposed that the National Assembly should first enact a National Minimum Standards Act before any state police begins operation.

The Speaker also advocated a gradual implementation strategy, allowing states to establish police services in phases based on their preparedness rather than creating 36 state police forces simultaneously.

He further called for a sustainable financing framework, including the possibility of a dedicated policing fund or federal support tied to compliance with national standards.

Abbas urged stakeholders to critically examine issues surrounding funding, oversight, intelligence sharing and the integration of existing vigilante and community security outfits before the legislation is finalised.

He said the National Assembly remained committed to enacting reforms that would strengthen security while protecting citizens’ rights and preserving the country’s federal structure.