The Nigerian Senate has assured citizens that legislation to establish state police will be passed before the end of 2026, following the approval of the proposed constitutional amendment by the required number of state Houses of Assembly.
The latest development came on Monday when the Ondo State House of Assembly approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish state police services across the country.
Ondo’s approval followed similar decisions by 24 other state assemblies, including 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.
With the required two-thirds of the state assemblies having approved the proposal, the constitutional amendment has reached the threshold needed for the next stage of the process.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the National Assembly was committed to completing the process before lawmakers go on their Christmas break.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, Adaramodu described state police as a major priority in the ongoing constitutional review, adding that lawmakers intended to pass the legislation as soon as the necessary proposals arrived from the executive.
He reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to delivering a new policing framework before the end of the current 10th National Assembly, expressing confidence that the process would be completed before the end of the year.
His statement comes as the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 related amendment bills, to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
The working group, chaired by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, expects the ministry to return the validated documents by October 30. The group will then review 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 approximately 90 per cent complete and was expected to be sent to the National Assembly on October 29.
However, Adaramodu declined to confirm the executive’s proposed timetable, explaining that the Senate would wait for the official submission before commenting on the next steps.
He also dismissed concerns that delays in obtaining approval from state legislatures could affect the process. According to him, the 30 day deadline was intended for the state assemblies to submit their contributions, and the legislatures had been doing so.
Adaramodu added that the National Assembly would review the submissions and convene a conference to address outstanding issues before concluding the process.
He maintained that the proposed law would be prioritised because of the country’s continuing security challenges. He argued that establishing state police could improve the enforcement of existing laws and strengthen efforts to combat killings, kidnappings, banditry and terrorism.
According to the Senate spokesman, Nigeria has enacted several laws intended to deter criminal activities, but effective enforcement remains a major challenge. He believes decentralising policing would bring security operations closer to communities and improve responses to local threats.
Adaramodu also stressed that lawmakers intended to give relevant stakeholders opportunities to contribute to the proposed framework because the legislation would affect communities throughout the country.
Meanwhile, Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central, said the approval by 24 state assemblies meant the constitutional amendment had satisfied the required threshold. He explained that the documents would return to the National Assembly for verification.
Umeh said lawmakers supported decentralised policing because of Nigeria’s large geographical size and the challenges of providing effective security through a single centralised police force.
He argued that a state-based system could bring police commands closer to residents in different communities, making it easier to gather intelligence and respond promptly to criminal activities.
According to the senator, officers familiar with their states’ languages, communities and local conditions could be better positioned to identify security threats and work with residents to address them.
He also noted that criminals often operate within communities where local residents may have useful information about their activities. In his view, improved cooperation between police officers and residents could help security agencies respond more quickly to emerging threats.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to modify Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution by replacing 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, 2026, and the House of Representatives subsequently approved it. The National Assembly transmitted the proposal to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration.
Before the Ondo Assembly passed the bill, its Majority Leader, Olatunji Oshati, moved the motion for approval. The motion was seconded by Allen Oluwatoyin, who represents Ese Odo State Constituency.
Oshati said lawmakers had carefully considered the implications of the proposed amendment and believed that state police could help address the security challenges facing the country.
The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, also described the establishment of state police as a long-overdue reform. He said the proposed system could help security agencies respond more quickly to crimes and other security concerns through improved intelligence gathering and proactive policing.
Following the approval, Oladiji directed the Clerk of the Assembly, Benjamin Jaiyeola, to forward the bill and the legislature’s observations to the National Assembly.
Although the required number of state assemblies has approved the proposal, the legislation must still pass through the remaining constitutional and legislative stages before state police can be formally established.
