The Senate has given six states until November 15 to communicate their positions on the proposed establishment of state police, as the National Assembly moves to complete the constitutional amendment process.
The deadline followed deliberations in the Senate after the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogundele, communicated the decisions of 30 State Houses of Assembly on the proposed amendment.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the National Assembly had completed its responsibility by passing the bill, leaving the state legislatures to approve the constitutional alterations before the President's assent.
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He explained that the process required approval by at least 24 State Houses of Assembly before the amendment could proceed to the final stage.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio called for more time for the remaining six states to decide whether to support the proposed changes, noting that the process required the participation of all parts of the country.
Akpabio said the level of participation showed that the proposed creation of state police had become a national issue requiring broad consultation.
Following the discussions, lawmakers agreed that the six outstanding states should communicate their decisions to the National Assembly by November 15, 2026.
The development comes as the proposed state police system gains legislative support amid persistent security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping and violent attacks in several parts of the country.
The constitutional amendment is intended to decentralise policing by allowing states to establish their own police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
For the amendment to become law, it must secure the support of at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before being presented to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
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