In a historic legislative shift, the Senate on Wednesday passed a landmark Constitution Alteration Bill to establish state police forces across Nigeria.
This development marks a monumental step in the decades-long debate over decentralising the country’s security architecture to combat systemic internal insecurity.
The bill was passed following a rigorous clause-by-clause consideration and an open, manual voting process. Over two-thirds of the lawmakers voted in favour on the floor of the chamber.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio officially announced the passage of the legislation after it secured overwhelming backing during the plenary session.
The approval followed a comprehensive presentation by the Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Barau Jibrin.
Concurrent policing framework
The legislation introduces a legal framework that allows state police formations to operate concurrently with the existing Nigeria Police Force (NPF), effectively breaking the Federal Government’s exclusive monopoly on policing.
Debate on the bill was championed by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who urged his colleagues to back the reform as a vital tool to strengthen local intelligence gathering and improve immediate tactical response to local threats.
Governors handed appointment powers
A major highlight of the approved constitutional amendment centers on structural control. The bill directly empowers state governors to appoint the Commissioners of Police for their respective states, subject to confirmation by the state Houses of Assembly.
Under the provisions of Clause 17:
The Federal Police Service will remain under the centralised command of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
Each individual State Police Service will be operationally headed by a State Commissioner of Police, appointed by the sitting governor and confirmed by the state legislature.
Section 17(6) explicitly notes that a governor may issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to the State Commissioner regarding public safety and public order.
Strict safeguards against political weaponisation
To calm long-standing national fears that state governors might weaponise local police forces to intimidate political rivals, suppress free speech, or rig local elections, the Senate embedded strict legal firewalls within the legislation.
Specifically, Section 17(7) states:
“A state Commissioner of Police shall not arrest, detain, investigate or deploy force against any person, political party or group merely for criticising the government except in accordance with the law.”
Lawmakers emphasised that this clause is designed to fiercely protect political freedoms, civil liberties, journalists, and activists, ensuring that all state police deployments remain strictly bound by due process.
Tech glitch forces manual voting
The historic vote was preceded by a brief procedural adjustment when the Senate abandoned plans to use its automated electronic voting system.
Citing technical glitches affecting several electronic devices at lawmakers’ desks, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved a motion to switch to manual voting to ensure no senator was disenfranchised. Senate President Akpabio sustained the motion, noting that an open, roll-call voting system would promote absolute transparency by allowing Nigerians to see exactly how their representatives voted on critical national security matters.
The high-stakes voting session was witnessed live from the gallery by top government officials, including Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The next hurdles for State Police
While the Senate’s passage is a massive victory for advocates of restructuring, the bill is not yet law. To successfully amend the 1999 Constitution, the bill must now secure a concurrent passage in the House of Representatives and receive approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly (24 states) before it can be transmitted for presidential assent.
Read Also: Plateau State Police apprehend suspects for beating NYSC member to de@th
