Insecurity: Senate Holds Emergency Session to Consider State Police Bill

Senate plenary

Insecurity: Senate Holds Emergency Session to Consider State Police Bill

The Nigerian Senate has convened an emergency plenary session today to consider the proposed State Police Bill, a landmark constitutional reform that would allow states to establish their own police forces. The emergency sitting, scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, was called by Senate President Godswill Akpabio to address urgent national security concerns. The Senate had adjourned for its recess on June 11 and was scheduled to resume on July 7, but the leadership recalled lawmakers to address what it described as “matters of urgent national importance, particularly issues relating to national security and other critical concerns that require immediate legislative attention.” According to a memo issued on June 15 by the Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, the session was convened at the instance of Senate President Akpabio. The decision to cut short the recess underscores growing anxiety over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, including persistent attacks by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups across several parts of the country.

Senate spokesman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), confirmed that national security concerns and the State Police Bill will dominate deliberations. “The Senate will be considering matters of public interest, especially national security. The State Police legislation will undoubtedly be a priority issue,” Adaramodu said. According to him, lawmakers are expected to review reports from the committee currently handling the bill as part of efforts to move the proposal forward. “The Senate is desirous of partnering with other arms of government in curbing the undesirable activities of bandits, terrorists and other peace-threatening marauders,” he added.

The emergency session follows concerns over delays in the constitutional amendment process after the Senate went on a three-week recess without concluding work on the bill. According to a senior Senate official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the proposal could not be concluded earlier because the chamber failed to secure the constitutionally required two-thirds majority of the 109 senators needed to amend the Constitution. “The leadership has spoken with members and there is optimism that the required number will be present,” the source told THISDAY. Determined to avoid further delays, the Senate leadership has intensified consultations across party lines and appealed to lawmakers to ensure full attendance at today’s emergency sitting.

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The bill, which has already passed second reading in the Senate and was passed by the House of Representatives, seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing state governments to establish their own police formations alongside the federal police. Sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, the proposed legislation would amend Sections 197, 214 and 215 of the Constitution, among other provisions. The bill proposes the creation of both Federal and State Police structures, defining their responsibilities and establishing State Police Service Commissions with robust oversight mechanisms. It also proposes amendments to Section 214 of the Constitution to formally establish both Federal Police and State Police formations. Under the proposed framework, the National Assembly would retain authority to prescribe the structure, organization, administration, and powers of the Federal Police while also setting minimum standards and legal requirements for the establishment and operation of state police services nationwide. The bill stipulates that no state police formation can commence operations unless it is created through legislation enacted by the relevant State House of Assembly and certified as meeting nationally prescribed minimum standards. It further provides that until any state police force becomes operational, the Federal Police shall continue to exercise policing responsibilities within that state.

Addressing concerns about potential political abuse by state governments, the bill contains several built-in safeguards. The proposed legislation includes the creation of State Police Service Commissions, federal oversight by the Federal Police Service Commission, uniform national policing standards, legislative confirmation of senior appointments, and strengthened constitutional procedures for removal of State Commissioners of Police. Furthermore, provisions are included for federal intervention in cases of breakdown of law and order. Bamidele also noted that under the proposed changes to Section 215 of the Constitution, State Commissioners of Police would be appointed by governors on the advice of the Nigeria Police Council from among serving officers of the respective state police formations and confirmed by their State Houses of Assembly. The bill empowers governors to issue lawful directives to State Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and maintenance of law and order. However, where a commissioner believes such directives are unlawful or inconsistent with established policing standards, the matter may be referred to the Nigeria Police Council, whose decision would be final.

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Supporters argue that decentralising policing powers would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based security operations and enable state governments to respond more effectively to local security threats. Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system under the control of the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force, which advocates say has struggled to respond effectively to localised threats. Leading the debate on the bill during second reading, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele noted that Nigeria continues to face terrorism, violent extremism, banditry, mass abductions, farmer-herder clashes, cultism, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, communal conflicts and cyber-enabled crimes. He argued that local police officers would be better positioned to gather intelligence because of their familiarity with local languages, customs and community dynamics. Drawing comparisons with other federations, Bamidele noted that the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany operate multi-layered policing systems that combine federal and subnational law enforcement agencies. “As such, Nigeria should not remain an exception among federal systems,” he argued. Several lawmakers across party lines, including senators from Northern Nigeria, have openly backed the proposal, insisting that the current centralised policing structure is no longer sufficient to tackle security threats effectively. Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno also noted that the legislation could help provide proper legal regulation for vigilante groups currently operating in several communities across the country.

If the bill successfully passes the Senate today, the upper chamber and the House of Representatives will constitute a joint conference committee to harmonise differences in their respective versions of the legislation before transmitting it to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for approval, as required for constitutional amendments. The House of Representatives had earlier passed the bill with overwhelming bipartisan support—289 lawmakers voted in favour, one abstained, while no lawmaker voted against it. This reflects growing consensus among federal lawmakers, state governors, and security stakeholders that Nigeria’s current centrally controlled policing system requires reforms to meet contemporary security realities.

The emergency session comes amid renewed pressure on the Federal Government to adopt more effective strategies to combat insecurity nationwide. During his Democracy Day broadcast earlier this month, President Bola Tinubu vowed that terrorists, bandits and their sponsors would face the full weight of the law, insisting that no mercy would be shown to enemies of the state. The President disclosed that more than 13,000 terrorists had been neutralised within the last year, though he acknowledged that the continued captivity of schoolchildren abducted in Oyo and Borno states remained a painful reminder of the country’s security challenges.