Senate passes State Police bill
NASS
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Senate on Wednesday passed a Constitution Alteration Bill to establish state police across Nigeria, after a clause-by-clause review and a manual, open-floor vote in which more than two-thirds of senators supported the measure.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the passage following a report from the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, presented by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin.
Debate was led by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele.
The amendment would allow governors to appoint state Commissioners of Police, subject to confirmation by state Houses of Assembly, while the Federal Police Service retains an Inspector-General.
It includes safeguards barring state police from being used to target critics and requires actions to follow due process.
Lawmakers abandoned electronic voting after technical concerns and instead recorded votes publicly. Several state governors and senior officials attended the sitting.
The bill now moves to state assemblies and other required processes before state police can be implemented.
