The Senate will this week begin deliberations on a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish State Police across Nigeria, marking a significant step toward decentralising the country’s policing system.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Monday through the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs. He said there is growing consensus among stakeholders nationwide on the need for state-controlled policing to address Nigeria’s security challenges more effectively.
According to Bamidele, the National Assembly is considering separating the State Police proposal from other constitutional amendment bills to accelerate its passage, given the urgency of the matter.
“Our position is very clear on State Police. We are standing with Nigerians. All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time than now to establish State Police,” he said.
The Senate Leader noted that the amendment proposal would be one of the key items on the legislative agenda for the week beginning Tuesday, describing it as a critical reform for strengthening security and governance.
He revealed that extensive consultations had already taken place between the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Inspector-General of Police, and other relevant stakeholders.
Bamidele also disclosed that the proposal enjoys the backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governors, and major security stakeholders across the country.
If approved by the National Assembly, the bill will be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration. Under the constitutional amendment process, at least two-thirds of the state legislatures must endorse the proposal before it can be forwarded to the President for assent.
The move comes amid increasing calls for a more decentralised policing structure to tackle rising insecurity, improve local intelligence gathering, and enhance community-based law enforcement across the federation.
