Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has disclosed that the constitutional process for the establishment of the long-awaited State Police in Nigeria will be completed before the end of 2026.
Bamidele disclosed that at least 30 State Houses of Assembly have approved the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026, meeting the constitutional requirement for the proposed amendment.
He made this known on Thursday while delivering a paper at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, Naija News reports.
The Senate Leader, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, spoke to participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 48 on the topic, “Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Governance through Proactive Lawmaking.”
According to him, the approval by the state assemblies meets the requirement under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires at least two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly to support a constitutional amendment.
“We are pleased to inform our constituents across the federation that State Police have moved from rhetoric to reality,” Bamidele said.
He added, “By the provision of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires the concurrence of not less than two-thirds of all State Houses of Assembly, the constitutional requirement for the alteration has been duly met.”
Bamidele explained that the next step is for the National Assembly to collate the reports from the state assemblies before both chambers pass a resolution by a simple majority.
The bill will then be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
He said the process is expected to be completed on or before December 2026.
The Senate Leader also addressed concerns that governors could use state police to intimidate political opponents or turn security agencies into personal forces.
He insisted that the proposed reform was not designed to create state armies but to improve security through policing that is closer to local communities.
“It is not about creating state armies, but about creating state-led, community-anchored policing within clear constitutional safeguards, operational standards, oversight mechanisms, and human rights protections,” he said.
Bamidele explained that the proposed system would help security agencies understand the communities they serve, including their local terrain and languages.
He added that proper constitutional safeguards and oversight would be necessary to prevent abuse and ensure that state police operate within the law.
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