ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-President Bola Tinubu has forwarded a Constitution Alteration Bill proposing the creation of state police to the Senate.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, disclosed this during Tuesday’s plenary, stating that the upper chamber is scheduled to deliberate on the constitutional amendment bill on Wednesday.
Akpabio further revealed that state governments have also indicated their readiness to consider the state police proposal once it is transmitted to them.
The bill seeks to amend relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution to provide the legal basis for the establishment of state police across the country.
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The development comes amid sustained calls by President Bola Tinubu for constitutional reforms that would allow states to take a more active role in securing their territories.
In February, Tinubu urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution to accommodate state police, describing the reform as essential to addressing terrorism, banditry and other security challenges.
Speaking during his Democracy Day address earlier this month, the President pledged that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full force of the law, stressing that no mercy would be extended to enemies of the state.
Tinubu stated that over 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised in the past year and noted a significant decline in terrorism-related deaths compared to previous years.
He, however, acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remains a painful reminder of the nation’s lingering security concerns.
The push for state police has gathered momentum in recent months, with both chambers of the National Assembly advancing constitutional amendment efforts aimed at devolving policing powers to the states.
The Senate is also expected to reconvene for an emergency plenary session as lawmakers work toward passing the bill and advancing what could become one of the most significant security reforms in Nigeria’s democratic history.
More details to follow.