The Senate has defended the passage of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, saying the proposed creation of state police is driven by national consensus and the country’s security needs rather than political considerations.
PUNCH Online reports that the Red Chamber passed the bill on Wednesday after more than two-thirds of senators voted in support.
Although the passage has been welcomed by many stakeholders, including the speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, some groups have raised concerns that it could worsen insecurity and lead to abuse of state police by governors.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele described the bill as “a child of necessity and not of political expediency as well as a product of national consensus and not of cynicism.”
The senate leader said the proposal to establish state police was a matter of urgent public importance that could not be delayed because of political interests, given the country’s security challenges.
