Senate to debate State Police bill this week

Nigeria's Senate is set to prioritize a constitutional amendment this week to decentralize policing by establishing state police forces.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele stated that the National Assembly is fast-tracking the proposed change to the 1999 Constitution, viewing state police as a necessary response to escalating national security issues like terrorism, banditry, and communal violence. Recent incidents, including kidnappings in Oyo State and attacks on military personnel, have intensified calls for a decentralized system.

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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.

Currently, the constitution mandates a single national police force. However, Bamidele indicated a broad consensus among stakeholders, including President Bola Tinubu and state governors, supporting the creation of state police. He emphasized that the Senate aims to translate this popular desire into reality by passing the necessary amendment promptly.

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That is where we stand. Where we come in now is to help translate this popular desire of the people into reality as elected representatives of the Nigerian people.

Consultations between the National Assembly, the Presidency, and security agencies have reportedly advanced significantly. Key figures involved in these discussions include the chairmen of the constitution review committees in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Attorney-General, the Chief of Staff to the President, and the Inspector-General of Police.

The push for state police comes as Nigeria grapples with widespread insecurity. The current centralized policing structure is seen by many as insufficient to tackle the diverse and localized nature of the threats across the country.

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We concluded that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the state police. 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.