STATE POLICE: SENATE GIVES SIX ASSEMBLIES NOVEMBER 15 DEADLINE

The Senate has given six state Houses of Assembly until November 15 to state their positions on the proposed constitutional amendment establishing state police.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele told lawmakers on Wednesday that 30 of the 36 state assemblies had approved the proposal, exceeding the required minimum of 24.

Despite reaching that threshold, Senate President Godswill Akpabio requested more time for the remaining assemblies to respond.

“They should be given more time. Let’s give them till November 15 to respond,” he said.

The Senate unanimously supported the extension. Akpabio said any assembly that failed to communicate its decision by the deadline would be treated as having withheld approval.

Bamidele said the approving states were Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

The proposed amendment seeks to allow states to establish their own police services as part of efforts to decentralise policing.

Bamidele explained that presidential assent would be needed to complete the process after passage by the National Assembly and approval by the required number of state legislatures.

The additional time is intended to let the outstanding assemblies conclude their consideration before the proposal is forwarded to the President. State police services have not yet been established through this process.