‘State Policing Now a Necessity’ – Tinubu calls for constitutional reforms

June 17, 2025

By Ayinde Adeleke

In a landmark address, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has thrown his weight behind the establishment of state police, citing the imperative need for a more responsive and community-driven security framework in Nigeria.

Represented by Defence Minister Mohammed Abubakar Badaru at a high-level legislative dialogue in Abuja, Tinubu emphasized that the nation’s security challenges have outgrown the current centralized system.

“The reality on the ground demands a new approach. Nigerians are living in fear, and it’s time we empower our states to take charge of their security,” Tinubu declared.

“Farmers can’t farm, traders can’t trade, and communities are left to fend for themselves. This is the human cost of inadequate security.”

Tinubu attributed the inadequacy of the current security framework to the outdated 1999 Constitution, which he said has been overtaken by the complexity of modern security threats.

“Terrorism, cybercrime, farmer-herder conflicts, piracy, and separatist agitations are stretching our security agencies to the limit. We need a Constitution that can keep pace with these challenges.”

To address this, Tinubu is advocating for constitutional amendments that would allow states to establish their own police forces, while maintaining federal oversight.

“This is not about creating parallel security structures, but about giving communities the security solutions they need, tailored to their specific challenges,” he explained.

“We can learn from global best practices that have successfully adapted decentralised policing models to enhance local accountability without sacrificing national oversight,” Tinubu added.

The President’s call for reform is backed by growing demands from governors, traditional leaders, and civil society for state police as a solution to Nigeria’s security woes. Recent successes in counter-terrorism operations, facilitated by enhanced coordination between the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the armed forces, have also underscored the need for more agile and responsive security structures.

In the same vein, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Christopher Musa have echoed the call for urgent constitutional reforms to tackle emerging security threats, including cyber warfare and insurgency.