The Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to establishing state police before the end of 2026, following the approval of the proposed constitutional amendment by the required number of state Houses of Assembly.
The latest approval came from the Ondo State House of Assembly, which on Monday passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the establishment of state police services.
The bill was passed during plenary after scaling second and third readings, with all members present supporting the proposal.
Ondo’s approval brings to 25 the number of state legislatures that have endorsed the amendment, exceeding the constitutionally required two-thirds of the 36 state assemblies.
The other states that have approved the bill are Osun, Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Zamfara, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Abia, Yobe and Kaduna.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the National Assembly was determined to complete the legislative process before its Christmas recess.
Adaramodu described state policing as a major priority in the ongoing constitutional review, assuring Nigerians that lawmakers would fast-track the process once the necessary documents were formally received.
He said, “Already, we have promised Nigerians that before the end of this 10th National Assembly, a new police law will be enacted for Nigerians. And then, before we even leave for Christmas, it would have been done.”
The assurance comes amid efforts by the Federal Government to finalise the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 related constitutional amendment bills.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has submitted the draft legislation and the accompanying bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
The group, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, expects the ministry to return the validated documents by October 30. The group is then expected to consider the drafts before presenting them to President Bola Tinubu for approval and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
Gbajabiamila had earlier indicated that the proposed legislation was about 90 per cent ready and would be forwarded to the National Assembly on October 29.
However, Adaramodu declined to comment on the executive’s timeline, explaining that the Senate would wait for official communication before taking a position.
He said, “Well, we cannot pass comment on what the executive said until we receive correspondence from them.”
The Senate spokesman also dismissed concerns about the time required to obtain approval from state legislatures, clarifying that the 30-day period was intended for the states to submit their contributions to the constitutional review process.
According to him, the submissions would be examined by the National Assembly, which would also convene a conference to address outstanding issues.
“All those things (state approvals) will be brought to us, and we will put them under consideration because we are still going to hold a conference to address it,” he said.
Adaramodu maintained that lawmakers remained committed to completing the process before the end of the year, describing the proposed legislation as essential to improving security across the country.
He said the bill would receive expedited consideration while allowing relevant stakeholders to contribute to a framework that would affect communities nationwide.
The senator added that decentralised policing could strengthen law enforcement and improve the country’s response to killings, kidnappings, banditry and terrorism.
He argued that Nigeria’s existing security laws required more effective enforcement and that state police would bring policing closer to local communities.
Also speaking on the development, the senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, said the approval by the required number of state assemblies meant the constitutional amendment had met the necessary threshold and would return to the National Assembly for verification.
He explained that lawmakers would confirm the submissions from the state legislatures before proceeding with the next stage of the process.
Umeh expressed support for decentralised policing, arguing that Nigeria’s size and diverse security challenges made it difficult for a single centralised police structure to respond effectively to threats across the country.
He said establishing state police commands would bring security operations closer to residents, improve intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to criminal activities.
According to him, officers with a better understanding of local communities and conditions could be better positioned to identify threats and support crime prevention.
“Every security issue is local. Through the intelligence of people in that state, we will be able to respond on time. Every criminal hides in the community, and there is a tendency they would be known to the locals,” Umeh said.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to alter Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution to replace the existing Nigeria Police Force structure with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The Senate passed the Sixth Alteration Bill on June 24, after which the House of Representatives also approved it. The National Assembly subsequently transmitted the proposal to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration.
Speaking before the Ondo Assembly passed the bill, the Majority Leader, Olatunji Oshati, moved the motion for its passage. Allen Oluwatoyin, who represents Ese Odo State Constituency, seconded the motion.
Oshati said the lawmakers had considered the implications of the proposed amendment and believed state police could help address the country’s security challenges.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, described the establishment of state police as long overdue, saying the arrangement would enable security agencies to respond more promptly to crime and other threats.
He added that state policing could help reduce criminal activities through improved intelligence gathering and proactive security measures.
Oladiji subsequently directed the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jaiyeola, to transmit the approved bill, alongside the Assembly’s observations, to the National Assembly.
