The Senate has given the four remaining state Houses of Assembly until Tuesday, November 17, 2026, to submit their positions on the proposed establishment of state police.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Sunday, saying 32 state assemblies had already approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026.
He said the National Assembly was expecting reports from the outstanding four states before proceeding with the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
Bamidele made the disclosure in a statement issued in Abuja after receiving The Sun Senator of the Year Award.
According to him, the number of approvals already secured has met the constitutional requirement stipulated in Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution for the proposed amendment.
He said, “As shown in the records of the National Assembly, no fewer than 32 State Houses of Assembly have approved the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026.
“We are now expecting four State Houses of Assembly to turn in their reports on or before the National Assembly reconvenes on November 17, 2026.”
The Senate Leader described the coming week as crucial to the proposed reform, insisting that the National Assembly must proceed with the process regardless of whether the remaining states submit their reports.
He added that the legislature was committed to forwarding the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent in line with the constitutional amendment procedure.
The proposed legislation seeks to restructure Nigeria’s centralised policing system by creating separate Federal and State Police Services.
The move comes amid growing concerns over insecurity across the country, particularly banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and communal violence.
However, the proposal has continued to attract concerns about possible political interference, abuse of authority and the use of state police to intimidate political opponents.
Addressing the reservations, Bamidele maintained that the proposed security arrangement was not designed to create ethnic or state armies but to establish community-based policing structures operating under constitutional safeguards.
He also called for a shift towards proactive lawmaking, stressing that legislation should be assessed by its impact on citizens rather than the number of bills passed.
On other legislative achievements, Bamidele said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had disbursed more than N204bn to beneficiaries across 89 colleges, 108 polytechnics and 126 universities.
He also highlighted the National Social Investment Programmes Act, 2023, the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2024, the Tax Reform Acts, 2025, and the Electoral Act, 2026, among other legislations.
The Senate Leader further advocated responsible use of social media, warning against misinformation, character assassination and deliberate attacks on public institutions.
He said, “We have seen characters assassinated. We have seen public institutions blackmailed. We have watched people deliberately distort facts. We have seen people unjustifiably peddling lies.”
While expressing concern over the growing abuse of digital platforms, Bamidele reaffirmed his support for press freedom, an open parliament and continued engagement with journalists.
He urged media organisations to promote responsible information sharing while acknowledging the importance of protecting freedom of expression.
