National Assembly is expected to pass the long-awaited constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police this week, in what lawmakers describe as a major step towards addressing the country’s worsening security challenges.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said the proposed legislation would be prioritised and passed before being transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for ratification, a key constitutional requirement before it can receive presidential assent.
Bamidele said the National Assembly had resolved to separate the state police proposal from the broader constitutional amendment process in order to accelerate its passage, describing the reform as an urgent national priority amid persistent terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence.
According to the Senate Leader, there is broad consensus among key stakeholders, including President Bola Tinubu, state governors and the National Assembly, on the need to decentralise policing to improve security and strengthen law enforcement across the federation.
If approved by both chambers of the National Assembly, the constitutional amendment will be forwarded to the 36 state legislatures, where it must secure the backing of at least two-thirds of the assemblies before it can be signed into law by the President.
The renewed push for state police comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with escalating insecurity, with growing calls from security experts, governors and civil society groups for a decentralised policing structure capable of responding more effectively to local security threats.
