President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture through constitutional reforms, describing the creation of state police as a “national imperative” driven by worsening insecurity across the country.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at a one-day legislative dialogue on constitutional review and national security, Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, said the centralised security structure currently in place has become ineffective and outdated.
The event was organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser.
According to Tinubu, the push for state police is no longer a matter of theory but one grounded in the harsh realities faced by Nigerians. He warned that continued delay in aligning the Constitution with the country’s present security challenges poses a serious threat to national unity.
“The debate over state police is no longer theoretical. It is grounded in the daily fears and lived anxieties of Nigerians: farmers afraid to tend their fields, traders unsure of safe passage, and communities abandoned to self-help,” Tinubu said.
He urged lawmakers to treat the matter with urgency, stressing that bold constitutional changes are necessary to restore public confidence and ensure the safety of lives and property across Nigeria.
