Senate vows to pass state Police law before year-end

The Senate has assured Nigerians that the legislation to establish State Police Services across the country will be enacted before the end of the year.

The proposed legislation has met the required constitutional threshold following its approval by twenty-four state houses of assembly across the federation.

Ondo State became the twenty-fourth state to approve the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, during a plenary session on Monday.

Speaking during the plenary session in Ondo State prior to the bill’s passage, the Speaker of the Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, described the establishment of state police as long overdue. The state legislature has subsequently directed the transmission of the approved document to the National Assembly.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, stated that the upper legislative chamber is determined to conclude the process before the Christmas break.

He emphasised that the proposed law remains a primary focus to strengthen the country’s response to internal security challenges.

“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” , Adaramodu.

The lawmaker representing Anambra Central, Senator Victor Umeh, stated that state-based policing would improve intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to criminal activities at the community level.

He revealed that the National Assembly supports a decentralised security architecture due to the vast landmass of the nation.

“We cannot continue to have one central police force to provide security to Kebbi, Calabar, Sabon Gari, Ikot Abasi and all the far ends of this country. No, we must decentralise it to have two police commands, especially state police, to get nearer to the grassroots”, Umeh.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has submitted the drafted legal framework to the Ministry of Justice for validation. The validated drafts are expected to be presented to President Bola Tinubu for approval before official transmission to the National Assembly.