The National Assembly has commenced the collation of reports from state Houses of Assembly on the proposed establishment of state police.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele disclosed this on Thursday, saying at least 30 state legislatures have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, thereby meeting the constitutional requirement.
Speaking during a lecture at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State, Bamidele explained that the number of approvals surpasses the two-thirds threshold required under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said the National Assembly would collate the reports, consider the positions of the state legislatures and pass a resolution by a simple majority in both chambers before transmitting the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
“We have set a clear timeline for ourselves. We intend to conclude all these legislative stages — consideration of reports, passage of resolution, and transmission for presidential assent — on or before December 2026,” Bamidele said.
The development marks a significant step in the long-running debate over the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system.
AbdulBasit Saba is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
