Insecurity: Senate set to pass constitutional amendment on state police
The Nigerian Senate is set to consider a constitutional amendment this week that would provide for the establishment of state police across the country, in a move aimed at strengthening the nation’s security framework.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, saying the proposal has reached a decisive stage in the legislative process.
He said: “The legislative week beginning Tuesday would be a crucial one for the Senate.”
Bamidele also indicated that broad political alignment had been reached on the proposal. According to him, “all stakeholders across the federation were aligned with the National Assembly on the establishment of state police,” adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and state governors were in support of the initiative.
The bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow states to establish their own police forces. Once passed by the National Assembly, it will be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration, where approval by at least two-thirds of the legislatures is required before presidential assent.
Bamidele explained that the constitutional process would be strictly followed, noting that state-level approval remains a key hurdle in the reform.
He further disclosed that the National Assembly leadership had engaged in consultations with key security and government stakeholders in recent days, including the Office of the Attorney-General, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Inspector-General of Police, and others.
He said these engagements helped strengthen confidence in the readiness of the bill, stating that lawmakers were optimistic about its passage.
If approved, the amendment would represent one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s policing structure in decades, shifting from a centralized system to a more decentralized model involving state-controlled police forces.
