Tinubu finally moves on state police — will this work or backfire?

President Tinubu has formally written to the Senate seeking a constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria. The letter dated June 15, 2026 was read on the floor today by Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Tinubu is pushing what he calls the State Police Bill, 2026 to create a dual policing structure — federal and state police operating side by side.

In the letter, Tinubu said this bill builds on previous work by the House and Senate and includes safeguards to ensure the dual system addresses our evolving security challenges quickly and effectively. He called it a critical component of his administration's strategy to reorganize Nigeria's security architecture. The Senate has referred it to the Constitution Review Committee and wants a report back by the next legislative day.

The question nobody is asking loudly enough — who will control these state police forces? Because if state governors get to appoint commissioners and control funding the way they control everything else, we might just end up with state-sponsored harassment instead of federal-sponsored harassment. Remember what happened with Amotekun and the constant clashes with the police. Are we actually ready for this or are we just chasing another solution that sounds good on paper?