The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the country's long-standing efforts to decentralise policing and address growing security challenges.
The landmark legislation was approved after a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill and a manual voting exercise in which more than two-thirds of senators voted in support of the proposal.
Announcing the passage during plenary, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the bill had secured the required legislative backing following overwhelming support from lawmakers.
The Senate approved the bill after considering the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, presented by the Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the committee, Barau Jibrin.
The bill was first considered by the Committee of the Whole before lawmakers adopted its provisions and proceeded to a final vote.
Leading the debate, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, urged senators to support the measure, describing it as a critical reform aimed at strengthening internal security and improving responses to local security threats.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish state police services that would operate alongside the existing federal police structure, ending the Federal Government's exclusive control of policing.
One of the key provisions empowers state governors to appoint Commissioners of Police for their respective states, subject to confirmation by their state Houses of Assembly.
Under Clause 17 of the proposed amendment, while the Federal Police Service will continue to be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, each State Police Service will be led by a Commissioner of Police appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state legislature.
The bill also outlines the operational relationship between governors and state police commands. Section 17(6) provides that governors may issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and order within their states.
To address concerns over possible abuse of state police by political authorities, lawmakers included safeguards aimed at protecting civil liberties and political freedoms.
Section 17(7) stipulates that a state Commissioner of Police shall not arrest, detain, investigate, or deploy force against any individual, political party, or group solely for criticising the government, except in accordance with the law.
The provision is intended to prevent the use of state police formations against political opponents, activists, journalists, or dissenting voices and to ensure compliance with due process.
The passage of the bill came shortly after the Senate abandoned plans to use an electronic voting system for the consideration of the State Police Bill and other constitutional amendment proposals.
Lawmakers instead adopted a manual voting process following concerns that technical issues affecting some voting devices could disenfranchise senators and compromise the credibility of the exercise.
The decision followed a motion moved by Bamidele, who argued that all senators should have an equal opportunity to participate in what he described as a historic vote.
Akpabio supported the proposal, saying an open voting process would guarantee full participation and enhance transparency by allowing Nigerians to know how their representatives voted on key constitutional matters.
Among those who witnessed the proceedings were the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani; the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun; the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Following the adoption of the motion, senators were called individually to publicly declare their votes during the consideration of the constitutional amendment bills.
The State Police Bill is regarded as one of the most consequential constitutional reforms undertaken by the 10th National Assembly. However, it must still secure approval from state Houses of Assembly and satisfy other constitutional requirements before becoming law.
Supporters of state policing have long argued that Nigeria's centrally controlled police structure is overstretched and ill-equipped to effectively combat banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, communal violence, and other security threats across the country.
Opponents, however, have expressed concerns that state police could be misused by governors to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent.
With the Senate's approval, the proposal has cleared a major legislative hurdle, bringing Nigeria closer to establishing state-controlled police services operating alongside the federal police system.
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