Lawmakers in the Senate gave the State Police constitutional amendment bill a thumbs up on Wednesday. The plenary session in Abuja saw the measure sail through its second reading.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved to suspend standing rules and fast-track the executive proposal. He told colleagues the bill would create state police forces while keeping federal policing intact.
According to Bamidele, safeguards against misuse are built into the framework. Independent commissions, national standards, and federal oversight in emergencies would all feature in the new structure.
He noted that state police would sharpen community policing efforts across Nigeria. Intelligence work and security response times would also improve under the proposal, he argued.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe backed the initiative but sounded caution. He warned that Nigeria's deepening security crisis demands fresh thinking, but only with strong guardrails.
Abaribe stressed constitutional protections for funding and independent management. State police must remain professional and free from political manipulation, he insisted.
Former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal embraced the bill as essential federalism. But he urged colleagues to write in protections against future abuse by state officials.
Senator Mohammed Monguno also threw his support behind it. He pointed to existing community security outfits nationwide as proof of demand for formal state policing.
Debate on the chamber floor showed overwhelming backing for the measure. Lawmakers then approved it for second reading and sent it to the committee of the whole.
Governors, state attorneys-general, and other senior officials watched from the gallery. The Senate had suspended rules earlier to allow them inside the chamber for the historic session.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said their attendance demonstrated government seriousness. He noted the presence of Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila and others underscored the amendment's weight.
Akpabio told reporters the proposal tackles mounting insecurity nationwide. He described it as evidence that lawmakers are listening to Nigerians' calls for creative security approaches.
