Nigeria Proposes Decentralized Police System Reform

The recent constitutional proposal in Nigeria aims to reform the police system by deleting and enacting new sections 214 and 215 of the Constitution. The current sections establish a single Nigeria Police Force led by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and subordinate to the President.

The proposal abolishes the Nigeria Police Force, creating separate police organizations for the federal government and state governments that choose to establish them. While the President and state governors retain the power to issue lawful instructions to the IGP and Commissioners of Police (CP), these instructions will now be limited to broad policy matters.

The proposal explicitly prohibits command instructions that infringe on citizens' fundamental rights or obstruct political meetings. This reform represents a significant shift towards a decentralized police system, the first since the Nigeria Police Force was formed in 1930, and addresses longstanding issues related to police governance and accountability.