The Senate on Wednesday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish State Police across Nigeria, marking a significant step in ongoing efforts to reform the country’s security architecture.
The bill was approved during plenary after lawmakers conducted a clause-by-clause consideration of its provisions. The session was presided over by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The passage of the legislation came after senators adopted manual voting following technical issues with the electronic voting system in the chamber.
To ensure no lawmaker was excluded from the process, senators were required to stand individually, announce their names, and openly declare their positions on the proposed constitutional amendment.
The bill originated from a constitutional amendment proposal transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of efforts to strengthen security across the country and allow states to play a more direct role in policing their territories.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation and operation of State Police forces in the federation.
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The move follows growing calls for decentralised policing amid persistent security challenges in several parts of the country, with advocates arguing that state-controlled police formations would improve intelligence gathering and response to local threats.
Despite its passage by the Senate, the constitutional amendment is yet to become law. In line with constitutional requirements, the proposal must secure approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.
This means a minimum of 24 state legislatures must endorse the amendment before the establishment of State Police can be formally implemented nationwide.