Nigeria moved a step closer to adopting state policing on Wednesday as the Senate passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services alongside the existing federal police structure.
The landmark legislation, considered one of the most significant security reforms in recent years, received the support of more than two-thirds of senators after a clause-by-clause review and a manual voting exercise conducted during plenary.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced the passage of the bill following overwhelming support from lawmakers.
The upper chamber adopted the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, presented by Deputy Senate President and committee chairman, Barau Jibrin, before proceeding to the final vote.
Leading the debate on the proposal, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, urged lawmakers to support what he described as a critical measure to strengthen internal security and improve responses to local security threats across the country.
The bill seeks to create a state policing framework that would operate concurrently with the federal police system, 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 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 legislation also defines the relationship between governors and state police commands.
Section 17(6) authorises governors to issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to Commissioners of Police on matters concerning public safety and order within their states.
To address longstanding concerns about the possible misuse of state police by political officeholders, lawmakers incorporated 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 and other dissenting voices while ensuring adherence to due process and existing legal frameworks.
The passage of the bill followed an earlier decision by the Senate to abandon plans to use an electronic voting system for the consideration of the State Police Bill and other constitutional amendment proposals.
Lawmakers opted for a manual voting process after concerns emerged that technical problems affecting some voting devices could prevent senators from participating fully in the exercise.
Bamidele moved the motion for manual voting, arguing that every senator deserved an equal opportunity to take part in the historic decision.
Akpabio supported the move, stating that open voting would enhance transparency and allow Nigerians to know how their representatives voted on crucial constitutional matters.
Several top government officials witnessed the proceedings, including 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 consideration of the constitutional amendment bills.
The successful passage of the State Police Bill marks a major legislative milestone and could significantly reshape Nigeria’s security architecture if it secures the required approvals from state Houses of Assembly and completes other constitutional processes.
Supporters of state policing have long argued that Nigeria’s centralised police system is overstretched and ill-equipped to tackle rising cases of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, communal violence and other security challenges.
However, critics maintain that state police could be vulnerable to political interference and abuse by governors.
With the Senate’s approval, the proposal has now cleared a major legislative hurdle, bringing Nigeria closer to establishing state-controlled police services operating alongside the federal police system.
