The Senate has assured Nigerians that legislation to establish state police will be concluded before the end of 2026, following the approval of the proposed constitutional amendment by the required number of state Houses of Assembly.

The assurance comes as the Ondo State House of Assembly on Monday passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish state police services across the country.

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The bill passed its second and third readings during plenary, with all lawmakers present supporting the proposal.

Speaker of the Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, subsequently directed the Clerk, Benjamin Jaiyeola, to transmit the resolution and the Assembly’s observations to the National Assembly.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said the National Assembly was determined to complete the process before its Christmas break.

Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, Adaramodu described the proposed legislation as a priority in the ongoing constitutional review process.

“Already, we have promised Nigerians that before the end of this 10th National Assembly, a new police law will be enacted for Nigerians. And then, before we even leave for Christmas, it would have been done,” he said.

The proposed constitutional amendment had secured the support of at least 24 state assemblies, meeting the two-thirds threshold required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for constitutional alteration. Reports on Monday indicated that Ondo’s approval brought the number of supporting states to 25.

The Senate passed the Sixth Alteration Bill on June 24, while the House of Representatives subsequently approved it before it was transmitted to the 36 state assemblies on September 16 for consideration.

The development coincides with efforts by the Federal Government to establish a legislative framework for the proposed policing system.

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.

The ministry was expected to return the reviewed documents by October 30 before the working group would consider them and present them to the President for approval and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila had earlier indicated that the proposed legislation was about 90 per cent ready and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.

However, Adaramodu declined to comment on the executive’s proposed timetable, saying the Senate would wait until it formally received the relevant documents.

“We cannot pass comment on what the executive said until we receive correspondence from them,” he said.

The senator also dismissed concerns about delays in obtaining state-level approval, explaining that the 30-day period given to state legislatures was intended for them to submit their positions and observations.

He said the National Assembly would collate the submissions and hold further discussions as part of the constitutional review process.

Adaramodu expressed confidence that the proposed law would be concluded before the end of the year, arguing that decentralised policing could strengthen Nigeria’s response to insecurity.

“There’s nothing to worry about. The policing bill will be done expeditiously as we promised and it will become law before the end of this year, by the grace of God. We are determined,” he said.

He added that lawmakers would allow relevant stakeholders to contribute to the proposed framework because of its implications for communities across the country.

According to Adaramodu, state police could improve the enforcement of security laws and strengthen efforts to address killings, kidnappings, banditry and terrorism.

He argued that establishing police services closer to communities would make security operations more effective, particularly in gathering intelligence and responding to local threats.

Also speaking on the development, Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central, said the approval by the required number of state assemblies meant the constitutional amendment had met the necessary threshold.

He said the National Assembly would verify the state resolutions before proceeding with the next stage of the process.

Umeh supported decentralised policing, arguing that Nigeria’s size made it difficult for a single centralised police structure to respond adequately to security concerns in every community.

He said state police could improve intelligence gathering and enable officers to develop a better understanding of local conditions.

According to the senator, security threats often emerge within communities, making local knowledge and cooperation important for identifying criminal activity and responding promptly.

The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to alter Section 214 of the Constitution to replace the existing Nigeria Police Force structure with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

Supporters of the proposal say decentralised policing would bring security operations closer to residents and improve responses to local threats.

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However, the constitutional amendment and the accompanying legislative framework must progress through the required formal processes before the proposed system can be implemented.