The Senate has approved a total of ₦403.1 billion for the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF) to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force and boost efforts to combat terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other security threats across the country over the 2025 and 2026 fiscal years.
The upper legislative chamber approved ₦170.1 billion for the Police Trust Fund's 2025 budget and ₦233 billion for the 2026 fiscal year.
The 2026 appropriation will fund personnel costs, capital projects and overhead expenditures aimed at improving the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and enhancing its ability to respond to security challenges nationwide.
Lawmakers expressed confidence that the funding would facilitate the acquisition of modern equipment, the development of critical infrastructure, improved personnel training and other essential resources required to strengthen policing and enhance public safety.
The approval comes at a time of increasing security concerns across the country, as Nigerians continue to call for more decisive measures to tackle rising incidents of terrorism, kidnapping and violent crime.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 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 (ACJA).
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 modernise and strengthen the nation's criminal justice framework.
A major feature of the bill is the establishment of a Criminal Justice Monitoring Council, which will supervise the implementation of the law in courts within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other federal courts across the country.
In a letter read during plenary, President Tinubu said the proposed legislation is intended to address procedural deficiencies and long-standing challenges that have slowed the administration of criminal justice.
According to the President, the bill also aims to align Nigeria's criminal justice system with global best practices by promoting the use of technology, introducing innovative legal processes and improving the effective implementation of the law by relevant institutions.
The proposed bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative consideration.
