State Police Won’t Become Governors’ Private Armies, Reps Assure Nigerians
The House of Representatives has assured Nigerians that the proposed State Police will not become private armies in the hands of state governors when eventually established.
Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, gave the assurance on Wednesday during the National Security Roundtable held as part of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja. He said the proposed reform is aimed at strengthening community policing while maintaining adequate national oversight.
Abbas explained that the House would subject the State Police Bill to rigorous legislative scrutiny to ensure it enhances security without undermining democracy, the rule of law or the country’s constitutional framework.
Describing the proposal as one of the most significant constitutional reforms before the National Assembly, the Speaker noted that it marks the first time a sitting President has formally transmitted an executive bill seeking the establishment of state police.
“State Police will not be private armies for the various state governors,” Abbas said.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President has made state police a central part of national reform. He has done so not with words alone, but with a bill that now sits before the House of Representatives.”
He reiterated the commitment of lawmakers to ensuring that the legislation delivers a policing system that improves security, enhances community participation and safeguards democratic principles across the country.