The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to create state police across Nigeria, a major move in the long-running debate over decentralising policing to tackle growing insecurity.
The bill was approved after a clause-by-clause review and secured the support of more than two-thirds of senators through a manual voting process on the Senate floor.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the passage after lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the proposal during plenary.
The Senate approved the bill after considering a report by the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, presented by Deputy Senate President and committee chairman, Barau Jibrin.
Lawmakers first examined the provisions at the Committee of the Whole before adopting them and moving to a final vote.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele led debate on the bill, urging colleagues to support what many described as a key reform to strengthen internal security and improve responses to local threats.
The legislation proposes a state policing framework that will operate alongside the federal police system, ending the Federal Government’s exclusive control of policing.
A key provision of the bill “empowers state governors to appoint Commissioners of Police for their respective states, subject to confirmation by the state Houses of Assembly.”
Under Clause 17, “while the Federal Police Service will continue to be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, each State Police Service shall be headed by a Commissioner of Police appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature of the state.”
Section 17(6) states that “a governor may issue lawful written directives of a general policy nature to the Commissioner of Police on matters relating to the maintenance of public safety and public order within the state.”
To prevent abuse, lawmakers included safeguards to protect political freedoms and civil liberties. Section 17(7) provides that “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.”
The bill was passed less than an hour after senators dropped plans to use electronic voting because of concerns over technical glitches. Following a motion by Bamidele, lawmakers adopted manual voting, a move backed by Akpabio to ensure full participation and transparency.
Among those present were Kaduna Governor Senator Uba Sani, Ogun Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ondo Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
With Senate approval secured, the proposal has crossed a major hurdle and now moves closer to creating state police services alongside the federal police system, subject to further constitutional approvals.
