By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

Nigeria may be edging closer to ending decades of debate over the establishment of state police, as Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has announced that the constitutional process for introducing the system could be completed by December 2026.

Bamidele disclosed that at least 30 State Houses of Assembly have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, marking a major development in efforts to decentralise policing and strengthen security across the country.

Speaking on Thursday, the Senate Leader described the development as a significant breakthrough, saying the proposal had moved beyond political promises and was now approaching the final stages of the constitutional amendment process.

He made the disclosure while delivering a paper titled “Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Governance through Proactive Lawmaking” to participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.

Bamidele, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, explained that the approval by 30 state assemblies had satisfied the constitutional requirement for the amendment to proceed.

He cited Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires the support of at least two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly for a constitutional alteration.

“We are pleased to inform our constituents across the federation that State Police have moved from rhetoric to reality,” he said.

According to him, the remaining steps involve the National Assembly formally collating the resolutions submitted by the state assemblies, securing approval through a simple majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, and transmitting the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

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He expressed confidence that the outstanding legislative procedures would be completed on or before December 2026.

However, the Senate Leader stressed that the proposed state police system should not be mistaken for an arrangement that would allow governors to establish personal security forces or political armies.

Rather, he said the reform was designed to create a decentralised policing structure that would operate within constitutional safeguards, clearly defined standards, effective oversight and human rights protections.

Bamidele argued that policing closer to communities would improve security operations by enabling officers to understand local environments, communicate in indigenous languages and respond more effectively to threats peculiar to different areas.

The proposed reform comes amid persistent calls for a review of Nigeria's centralised policing structure, particularly as states and communities continue to face security challenges ranging from banditry and kidnapping to communal violence and other criminal activities.

If the remaining constitutional procedures are successfully completed, the establishment of state police would represent one of the most significant changes to Nigeria's security architecture since the return to democratic rule in 1999.