The National Assembly will transmit the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent this week, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has said.
Bamidele disclosed this in a statement issued by his Media Directorate on Sunday.
According to him, the move would go ahead even though four state houses of assembly are yet to submit their reports on the proposed constitutional amendment.
He said the National Assembly was expecting the remaining states to communicate their decisions before lawmakers reconvene on November 17, 2026.
“The absence of the remaining reports will not stop the National Assembly from proceeding with the process,” Bamidele said.
According to him, at least 32 state houses of assembly have approved the proposed amendment, exceeding the constitutional requirement of 24 states.
He described the development as a major step towards establishing state police after more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to reform Nigeria's policing system.
"We are now under obligation to transmit the State Police (Constitution Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for assent.
"This is a responsibility we must consciously discharge on behalf of our constituents and in the interest of national peace, progress and stability," he said.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, providing a constitutional framework for decentralised policing in the country.
Bamidele explained that the proposal was not intended to create ethnic or state armies but to establish state-led, community-based policing under clear constitutional safeguards.
National Assembly to transmit State Police Bill to Tinubu this week - Bamidele