The Senate has expressed confidence that the proposed establishment of state police will secure the required approval of state Houses of Assembly, saying there is no significant opposition to the initiative.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, stated this in an exclusive interview with newsmen.
The proposed State Police Services Bill is currently before the 36 state Houses of Assembly following its transmission by the National Assembly on September 16 as part of the constitutional amendment process.
The state legislatures were given 30 days to consider the bill and communicate their decisions, with the deadline set to expire on October 15.
As of Thursday, only Edo, Oyo, Osun and Rivers states had approved the bill.
Speaking on the development, Adaramodu acknowledged that not all Nigerians could be expected to support the proposal but maintained that the majority favoured state police as a means of addressing the country’s security challenges.
He said the proposal had undergone extensive deliberations and expressed confidence that the required number of states would endorse it.
According to the senator, the constitutional amendment requires the approval of at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, representing two-thirds of the states, before the process can proceed.
Adaramodu also dismissed concerns that the process might be delayed until the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly, assuring that the current 10th Senate would conclude it within its tenure.
He said the National Assembly was expecting responses from the state legislatures soon, possibly by the following week.
The proposed establishment of state police comes amid growing calls for decentralised policing in Nigeria, with proponents arguing that state-controlled police formations would enable a more effective response to local security threats.
