Sanwo-Olu Praises Tinubu as State Police Proposal Clears Senate
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated President Bola Tinubu following the Senate’s passage of the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria. In a statement personally signed on Thursday, Sanwo-Olu described the development as a historic milestone and a major step toward strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and deepening true federalism. According to the governor, the Senate’s approval reflects the growing national consensus that security challenges require solutions that allow states to play a more active role in policing and intelligence gathering. Sanwo-Olu said President Tinubu has consistently advocated for state police since his tenure as Governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, arguing that the current centralised policing structure places enormous pressure on federal security agencies. He noted that the president’s longstanding position on decentralised policing has now gained significant legislative backing, describing the Senate’s action as a victory for democratic reforms and national development. “Today is a great day for our country,” Sanwo-Olu said, adding that the emergence of state police would help improve security coordination at the grassroots level and strengthen efforts to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
The governor also praised members of the Senate for what he described as a courageous and historic decision, noting that the passage of the bill demonstrates a commitment to addressing one of the country's most pressing challenges. He urged state Houses of Assembly across the federation to support the constitutional amendment process by approving the bill when it is transmitted to them, stressing that broad support is necessary for the reform to become law. The proposed state police framework has been a subject of national debate for years, with supporters arguing that localised policing would improve response times, enhance intelligence gathering and enable security agencies to better understand the communities they serve. If eventually adopted, the reform is expected to represent one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s policing system since the return to democratic rule, potentially reshaping the country's approach to internal security and law enforcement.
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