Senate Aims to Pass State Police Bill This Week, Says Opeyemi Bamidele

• Says Tinubu, governors back proposal as constitution amendment heads to state assemblies

• Explains National Assembly will isolate bill from broader review to accelerate approval

The Senate has finalized plans to fast‑track the constitution amendment that would create state police forces. The proposal is expected to pass this week and then be sent to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for ratification.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele announced on Monday that the National Assembly has decided to separate the state police bill from the wider constitution review in order to speed its passage amid rising national security concerns.

In a statement from his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Bamidele said there is now a broad national consensus on decentralising policing and establishing state police structures across the federation.

He added that the proposal has the backing of President Bola Tinubu, state governors, state legislatures and other key stakeholders, raising hopes that one of Nigeria’s most contentious constitutional debates may soon be resolved.

Bamidele described the legislative week beginning on Tuesday as crucial, noting that the Senate has placed the state police bill at the top of its agenda.

“Our position is very clear on state police. We are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police. All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time to establish a state police than now,” he said.

He added that lawmakers have resolved to translate the growing public demand into constitutional reality by ensuring speedy legislative action.

“We came to the conclusion that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the state police,” Bamidele said. “If I can tell you as of today, that will come to fruition this very week because there is no need to allow any further delay.”

The move represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms currently before the National Assembly and comes amid persistent concerns over insecurity, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across various parts of the country.

Under Section 214(1) of the 1999 Constitution, Nigeria operates a centralised policing structure that provides for a single police force for the federation, known as the Nigeria Police Force.

Advocates of state police argue that the existing structure has become overstretched and inadequate for addressing complex security challenges across the country’s diverse regions.

Opponents have expressed concerns about potential abuse by state governments.

Bamidele said extensive consultations among critical stakeholders have helped build consensus around the proposal and address many of the concerns previously raised.

He disclosed that senior officials of the National Assembly have recently engaged key actors within the executive and security sectors to fine‑tune the framework for the proposed reform.

Bamidele stated that Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau Jibrin, and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review, Benjamin Kalu, have participated in a series of meetings with the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation, the Chief of Staff to the President and the Inspector‑General of Police.

He said the consultations were aimed at ensuring a coordinated approach to the constitution amendment process and smoothing the path for its eventual implementation.

“What we have resolved to do is to isolate it from the rest of the bills that we have proposed under constitutional amendment so that we can vote on this as soon as possible,” Bamidele said.

He explained that once approved by the National Assembly, the bill would immediately be transmitted to the state legislatures, where it must secure the support of at least two‑thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before it can be presented to the president for assent.

“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 State Houses of Assembly as soon as possible because we will need two‑thirds of the state assemblies to approve it before the president can assent to it,” he said.

Bamidele expressed confidence that the proposal would overcome the constitutional hurdles ahead, citing widespread support among governors and lawmakers at both federal and state levels.

He said, “The president is also with us on this proposal. I am sure he cannot wait for the bill to come to him for assent. I am sure the majority of our governors are in support of this bill. The state assemblies are also waiting for this bill to come.”

The latest development follows earlier disclosures by the Chief of Staff to the President, Gbajabiamila, that Tinubu would soon receive a comprehensive report on the proposed creation of state police as consultations on the constitutional framework for its establishment approached completion.

If successfully enacted, the amendment would mark a historic shift in Nigeria’s security architecture, ending decades of exclusive federal control of policing and opening the way for states to establish and manage their own police services within a constitutionally defined framework.