WED JUNE 24 2026-theGBJournal| The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment bill that would create state police forces, advancing a long-debated reform aimed at decentralising law enforcement and strengthening internal security across the country.
The bill was passed after lawmakers, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, considered and adopted all 26 clauses contained in the proposed amendment.
The legislation seeks to alter provisions of the Constitution to allow individual states to establish and operate police services alongside the existing federal police structure.
The Senate’s approval comes less than two weeks after the House of Representatives passed its own amended version of the proposal, reflecting growing legislative momentum behind efforts to address security challenges through a more localised policing framework.
The proposal represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms under consideration in recent years, touching on the longstanding debate over Nigeria’s federal structure and the distribution of security responsibilities between the federal and state governments.
Differences between the Senate and House versions of the bill will now need to be reconciled through the constitutional amendment process.
Once harmonised, the measure must secure the required approvals from state houses of assembly before it can be transmitted for presidential assent.
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