By Haruna Salami
The Senate at its plenary on Wednesday passed the State Police Bill raising hope for victory in counter terrorism war in the country.
The executive bill, which was presented by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) passed first, second and third reading the same Wednesday.
The Senate plenary to consider the State Police Bill had some prominent Nigerians including state governors, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and other presidential ads in attendance to witness the proceedings.
There was initial hiccup on the procedure for voting. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio test ran the electronic voting system, some senators complained that their system was not working, promoting instant resort to manual voting.
A total of 87 senators were present at the plenary and participated in the clause by clause voting , which entailed standing and raising of hands to be counted by the Sergeant-At-Arm.
The Police Trust Fund Act Amendment Bill was also passed by the Senate with assurance that it will lead to improvement in the current volatile security situation in the country.
Leading the debate on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele said the bill represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms in our nation’s democratic evolution. It addresses a long-standing national conversation on the structure, effectiveness, responsiveness and sustainability of policing in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues, the framers of the 1999 Constitution established a single and centrally controlled police force for the Federation. While that arrangement may have served the country at a particular stage of our national existence, the realities of contemporary Nigeria have exposed significant challenges associated with a centralized policing architecture.
“It a common knowledge that Nigeria is a vast Federation, comprising of Thirty-Six (36) States and the Federal Capital Territory with diverse cultures, languages, geographical terrains, security dynamics and socio-economic conditions. The increasing complexity of security threats, which include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal conflicts, farmer-herder clashes, cybercrime, organised criminal networks and other transnational crimes, have placed enormous pressure on the existing policing framework.
“The present structure often limits the ability of local authorities to respond swiftly and effectively to security challenges within their jurisdictions. Consequently, there has been a growing national consensus among stakeholders, including State Governments, traditional institutions, civil society organizations, security experts and notable scholars, on the need to decentralise policing, while also preserving national unity and security coordination.
According to him, the objective of the bill “is to establish a constitutional framework for the creation and operation of State Police Services while retaining a strong Federal Police Service and maintaining national standards, accountability and oversight.
“Specifically, the Bill seeks to retain a Federal Police Service for federal policing responsibilities; establish State Police Services for States that choose to create them; provide constitutional safeguards against abuse and political manipulation; create independent State Police Service Commissions; establish national minimum policing standards; etc.
Some of the benefits of the bill include “improved Community Policing: Security is most effective when law enforcement personnel understand local communities, languages, customs and terrain. State Police Services will strengthen intelligence gathering and community engagement.
“Faster Response to Security Threats: Local policing institutions can respond more rapidly to emergencies, criminal activities and public safety concerns.
“Decongestion of Federal Security Responsibilities: The Federal Police Service will be better positioned to focus on complex federal crimes and national security challenges” among others.
In his remarks after the passage of the State Police Bill and the Police Trust Fund Act Amendment Bill, the Senate President Godswill Akpabio said he “believes that the welfare of the police force will be enhanced and then much more efficient operations will be carried out.
“I think also that Nigerians will safer with this bills and banditry and terrorism we are witnessing will not only be minimized but will be totally reduced to the barest minimum. I am of the opinion that Nigerians shall conquer terrorism and banditry. And so shall they be”.
