Senate begins final debate on state police bill

The Nigerian Senate has commenced its final debate on a crucial constitutional amendment bill that seeks to establish state police forces across the country. The plenary session began on Tuesday afternoon, following a closed-door meeting, with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele leading the deliberations.

With 87 senators present, the assembly comfortably surpassed the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments, which stands at 73 votes. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced that a manual voting process would be employed, requiring each senator to publicly declare their stance on the bill. This transparency measure aims to ensure Nigerians are aware of their representatives' positions on the proposed state police system.

Senator Bamidele argued that the bill incorporates feedback from stakeholders gathered during regional public hearings and submitted memoranda. He emphasized that the legislation does not intend to abolish the existing federal policing structure but rather to enhance it. The proposed state police would focus on crime prevention, monitoring, and personnel recruitment and training. Furthermore, the establishment of state police commissions is expected to improve oversight and reduce the potential for arbitrary police actions.

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The bill does not abolish the federal policing structure but rather seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s policing system.

Several state governors, including Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State, and Uba Sani of Kaduna State, were present to observe the proceedings. High-ranking officials such as the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, Lateef Shittu, were also in attendance. The bill previously passed the House of Representatives on June 11th and had its second reading in the Senate the same day before being referred to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review.

President Bola Tinubu had transmitted a draft of the bill to the Senate, requesting its consideration. While the exact differences between the transmitted version and the one that passed the second reading are unclear, the president's letter acknowledged that the draft includes additional provisions not present in the House of Representatives' version. The bill is seen as a significant step towards reforming Nigeria's security architecture.

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The manual voting process is necessary to enable Nigerians to know the position of each lawmaker on the proposed state police system.