The Nigerian Senate has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across the country, marking one of the biggest steps yet in the long-running debate over how Nigeria should tackle insecurity.
The bill was approved on Wednesday after senators considered its clauses one after another and voted manually on the floor of the chamber. More than two-thirds of lawmakers supported the proposal, clearing a major hurdle in the process of changing Nigeria’s policing structure.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the passage after the votes were counted during plenary.
The bill was considered after the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution. The committee is chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
The proposed amendment seeks to create a policing system where states can operate their own police services alongside the existing federal police structure. If fully approved, it would end the current system where policing is controlled almost entirely by the Federal Government.
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One of the major provisions of the bill gives state governors the power to appoint Commissioners of Police for their respective states. However, such appointments would be subject to confirmation by the state Houses of Assembly.
Under the proposal, the Federal Police Service would still be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, while each State Police Service would be headed by a Commissioner of Police.
The bill also gives governors the power to issue lawful written directives to state police commissioners on matters affecting public safety and public order within their states.
Supporters of the bill argue that this will help states respond faster to local security threats, especially in areas affected by kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other crimes.
For years, many Nigerians have complained that the current centralised police system is overstretched and unable to respond quickly to security problems across the country. Advocates of state police believe officers recruited and controlled at state level will better understand local communities, terrain, languages and crime patterns.
Safeguards Against Political Abuse
Despite strong support for state police, the idea has also raised serious concerns. Critics have warned that governors could use state police to intimidate political opponents, silence activists, harass journalists or interfere in elections.
To address those fears, the bill includes safeguards against abuse.
One of the provisions states that a state Commissioner of Police must not arrest, detain, investigate or use force against any person, political party or group merely for criticising the government, except in line with the law.
This section is meant to protect political freedoms and prevent state police commands from becoming tools of political oppression.
Senators also adopted manual voting for the bill after concerns were raised over possible technical problems with electronic voting devices. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved for an open manual process, saying every senator should have the chance to vote on such an important constitutional issue.
Akpabio supported the move, saying open voting would allow Nigerians to know where their representatives stood on the matter.
Several senior public officials, including some state governors and top government figures, were present as the Senate considered the proposal.
Bill Still Faces More Constitutional Steps
Although the Senate’s approval is a major development, the bill has not yet become law.
Because it seeks to amend the Constitution, it must still pass through other constitutional requirements, including approval by the required number of state Houses of Assembly. It will also need to complete other legislative processes before it can take full legal effect.