By Musa Baba Adamu
The push for the establishment of state police in Nigeria has received a major boost, with the Senate set to prioritize constitutional amendments that would pave the way for decentralized policing across the country.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed on Monday that lawmakers would this week begin consideration of a constitutional amendment bill aimed at creating state police, describing the move as a response to widespread national demand for improved security.
According to Bamidele, the National Assembly has resolved to separate the state police proposal from other ongoing constitutional amendment bills in order to accelerate its passage and transmission to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for approval.
He noted that support for state police now cuts across all levels of government, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, state governors, state legislatures, and other stakeholders.
Bamidele said the Senate’s legislative agenda this week would be dominated by discussions on state policing, stressing that the security challenges facing the country have made the reform increasingly urgent.
The Senate leader revealed that intensive consultations had taken place between key institutions, including the National Assembly’s constitutional review committees, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Presidency, and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.
Among those involved in the consultations are Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu.
He expressed confidence that the amendment would secure the backing of at least two-thirds of the state assemblies, a constitutional requirement before presidential assent.
The latest development comes amid growing calls for a restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture, with advocates arguing that state police would strengthen local intelligence gathering and improve responses to emerging security threats.
Earlier, Gbajabiamila disclosed that President Tinubu would soon receive a comprehensive report on the proposed state police framework as consultations on its legal and constitutional structure near completion.
