The Senate on Thursday approved a total of ₦403.1 billion for the Nigerian Police Trust Fund for the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years in a move aimed at strengthening policing and supporting the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats across the country.
The approval comes as Nigerians continue to grapple with rising cases of violent crimes, with many citizens calling for stronger security measures and better-equipped law enforcement agencies.
The upper chamber approved ₦170.1 billion for the Police Trust Fund’s 2025 budget and ₦233 billion for the 2026 fiscal year.
The approved 2026 appropriation covers personnel costs, capital projects and overhead expenditures designed to enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force.
Lawmakers expressed optimism that the funding would improve the provision of critical equipment, operational infrastructure, training and other resources required to strengthen security operations and improve the country’s response to terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminality.
The intervention is expected to boost the operational effectiveness of police personnel, who have repeatedly faced challenges ranging from inadequate equipment to poor logistics while combating insecurity.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has transmitted a bill to the Senate seeking a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s criminal justice system through the repeal and reenactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and replace it with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s criminal justice framework and improve the administration of justice.
One of the major innovations contained in the bill is the establishment of a Criminal Justice Monitoring Council, which will oversee the implementation of the law in courts within the Federal Capital Territory and other federal courts across the country.
In a letter read during plenary, Tinubu said the proposed legislation was intended to address procedural gaps and long-standing challenges that had slowed the dispensation of justice in Nigeria.
According to the President, the bill will also align Nigeria’s criminal justice system with modern realities by promoting the deployment of technology, introducing innovative legal processes and enhancing the effective implementation of the law by relevant institutions.
The proposed legislation has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative consideration before its eventual passage.
