Key facts
- Nigeria's Senate passed a bill to allow states to establish their own police forces.
- The reform aims to decentralize the country's federal police system.
- State police would operate alongside federal forces, which would focus on national security.
- The bill requires approval from two-thirds of state assemblies to amend the constitution.
- Critics warn of potential abuse of power by state governors.
The Nigerian Senate has approved a bill that would permit the country's 36 states to establish their own police forces, a move intended to decentralize policing and combat escalating insecurity. The proposed constitutional amendment aims to address the overstretched capacity of the federal police, which has struggled to contain widespread violence from militant and criminal groups.