ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has urged senators to ensure full attendance at Wednesday’s plenary as the National Assembly prepares to consider and vote on the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria.
The appeal was made during an emergency Senate session on Tuesday amid growing support for the decentralisation of policing, a reform widely championed by security experts, state governors and community leaders as a response to persistent insecurity, including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Describing the State Police Bill as a landmark proposal, Akpabio said the legislation has the potential to fundamentally reshape Nigeria’s security architecture and strengthen security management at the grassroots level.
He stressed that constitutional amendments require broad participation and called on lawmakers to treat the exercise as a national duty rather than a routine legislative responsibility.
“Since 1960, Nigeria has not had the courage to decentralise policing, and this is the first time,” Akpabio said.
“As we struggle to become senators, let us also remember the responsibilities of being a senator. It is not enough for us to look for tickets. And when we get them, we don’t come to the chambers.”
According to the Senate President, the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution would provide the legal basis for creating state police services while introducing safeguards against abuse through future legislation and regulatory oversight mechanisms.
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He explained that the reform is intended to deepen community policing by incorporating local governments, traditional rulers, village leaders, youth organisations and other grassroots stakeholders into the nation’s security framework.
Akpabio argued that communities are often better positioned to identify suspicious persons and criminal elements within their localities, adding that decentralised policing would enhance intelligence gathering and enable faster responses to security threats.
To accelerate consideration of the proposal, he directed the Senate Committee on Constitution Review to submit its report by Wednesday, June 24, paving the way for immediate legislative action.
Also speaking, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele emphasised the importance of lawmakers’ attendance, noting that constitutional amendments require the support of at least two-thirds of Senate members.
“We need a minimum of two-thirds of distinguished senators to be able to vote on constitutional alteration. That means it is important for all of us to be here,” Bamidele said.
He described the state police proposal as a matter of national importance that transcends political parties, regions and geopolitical interests, urging principal officers and members of the Senate to contact absent colleagues and ensure their participation in the vote.
The Senate subsequently adjourned plenary until Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 11 a.m., when lawmakers are expected to debate and vote on the constitutional amendment.
The renewed push for state police follows the endorsement of the proposal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ongoing constitutional review efforts in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Supporters of the initiative argue that state-controlled policing would improve local security coordination, intelligence gathering and crime prevention. However, critics have expressed concerns over funding, command structures and the possibility of political interference by state governments.
For the amendment to become law, it must secure the support of at least two-thirds of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
It must also receive approval from no fewer than 24 state Houses of Assembly before being transmitted to the President for assent.