The House of Representatives on Tuesday took a major step towards the establishment of state police as it received the report of its Special Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review on the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to create state-controlled police services.
The report was presented during plenary by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Kalu, paving the way for debate and clause-by-clause consideration by lawmakers.
Its presentation followed a closed-door session of the Constitution Review Committee on Monday, where members harmonised the House’s position with the Senate’s version of the proposed legislation as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
The bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to provide a legal framework for the establishment, regulation and operation of state police services, alongside other related provisions.
In line with legislative procedure, the report has been laid before the House and will be scheduled for consideration on a later legislative day, with the Committee on Rules and Business expected to fix the date for debate and clause-by-clause consideration.
The proposed state police framework remains one of the most significant constitutional amendment bills before the National Assembly, amid growing calls by governors, security experts and civil society organisations for the decentralisation of policing to tackle rising insecurity across the country.
Proponents argue that state police would strengthen community policing, improve intelligence gathering and ensure quicker responses to local security challenges. Opponents, however, have cautioned against potential political abuse by state governments, calling for adequate constitutional safeguards to prevent misuse.
Also during Tuesday’s plenary, the House approved the 2025 and 2026 budget estimates of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund after adopting the report of its Committee on Police Affairs.
The report, presented by the committee’s chairman, Abubakar Yelleman, was considered and adopted during the Committee of Supply presided over by Deputy Speaker Kalu.
For the 2025 fiscal year, lawmakers approved a budget of ₦170.11 billion for the Police Trust Fund, comprising ₦27.29 billion for capital expenditure at the fund’s headquarters, ₦132.45 billion for capital projects for the Nigeria Police Force, ₦1.82 billion for personnel costs and ₦8.54 billion for overhead expenditure.
The House also approved ₦233.96 billion for the fund’s 2026 operations. The estimates include ₦43.78 billion for capital expenditure at the trust fund headquarters, ₦179.11 billion for capital projects for the Nigeria Police Force, ₦1.86 billion for personnel costs and ₦9.21 billion for overheads.
The combined allocations amount to over ₦404 billion for the two fiscal years.
The budget proposals are expected to proceed to third reading on Wednesday before their final passage by the House.
Established under the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act, the Nigeria Police Trust Fund provides supplementary financing for police training, equipment, logistics and welfare through statutory allocations, grants, donations and other approved funding sources.
The increased funding reflects ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen internal security, modernise policing infrastructure and enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force.