State police bill: Senate gives four states 48 hours to submit reports

The Senate has warned that it will proceed with the proposed constitutional amendment for state police even if four outstanding state Houses of Assembly fail to submit their reports by November 17.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, said on Sunday that 32 state assemblies had approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026, leaving four yet to submit their reports ahead of the National Assembly’s resumption on Tuesday.

Bamidele said the remaining assemblies had until November 17 to forward their positions, adding that the next week would be decisive for the proposed restructuring of Nigeria’s policing system.
He disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja after receiving The Sun Senator of the Year Award.
According to him, the National Assembly has already met the constitutional threshold for the amendment under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

“As shown in the records of the National Assembly, no fewer than 32 State Houses of Assembly have approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026,” he said.
“We are now expecting four State Houses of Assembly to turn in their reports on or before the National Assembly reconvenes on November 17, 2026.
“Whether the remaining states turn in their reports or not, we must move forward and fulfil the aspiration of our people.”
Bamidele added that the National Assembly was obliged to transmit the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent as part of efforts to establish state police.

The proposed amendment seeks to create a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, replacing the country's largely centralised policing structure with a decentralised arrangement.
The push for state police has gained momentum amid persistent insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal violence across the country.
However, the proposal has faced concerns over possible political interference, abuse of power and the use of state-controlled security agencies against political opponents.

Addressing those concerns, Bamidele said the proposed structure was not designed to create ethnic or state armies but community-based policing institutions operating within constitutional safeguards.
He also argued that Nigeria needed proactive lawmaking to address emerging national challenges, rather than relying on reactive governance.
“I believe Nigeria must move from reactive governance to proactive governance,” he said, adding that laws should be evidence-based, properly implemented and assessed by their impact on citizens.

The Senate Leader also defended cooperation among the arms of government, saying separation of powers should not translate into hostility.
He said the National Assembly’s legislative priorities were focused on laws that directly improved citizens’ welfare, rather than the number of bills passed.
Among the legislation he highlighted were the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024; the Tax Reform Acts, 2025; and the Electoral Act, 2026.
He said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had disbursed more than N204bn to applicants in 89 colleges, 108 polytechnics and 126 universities.

Bamidele also called for responsible social media use, warning against misinformation, character assassination and attacks on public institutions.
“We have seen characters assassinated. We have seen public institutions blackmailed. We have watched people deliberately distort facts,” he said.
He urged media organisations to address the spread of false information while reaffirming his support for press freedom, an open parliament and engagement with journalists.

Bamidele dedicated the award to Tinubu, his colleagues in the Senate, his constituents and God, describing it as recognition of collective responsibility.
He received the award from the founder of The Sun Publishing Limited and Chairman of the South-East Development Commission, Orji Uzor Kalu. Former Ogun State governors Olusegun Osoba and Gbenga Daniel, as well as serving senators, accompanied him to the event.