Senate gives Kano, Abia, four others, November 15 deadline to approve State Police bill

The Senate has set a deadline of November 15 for the six state Houses of Assembly that have yet to approve the proposed establishment of state police. If they do not respond by the deadline, it will be treated as if they have withheld their approval. This decision came after Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele announced on Wednesday that 30 of the 36 state assemblies had given their support to the proposed constitutional amendment.

Although this exceeds the two-thirds majority required by the constitution, Senate President Godswill Akpabio requested more time to enable the remaining six assemblies to express their positions. The Senate unanimously supported Akpabio's appeal. The amendment process involves three stages: passage by the national assembly, approval by at least two-thirds of state assemblies, and presidential assent.

The bill seeks to decentralize policing by allowing state governments to establish and manage their own police structures, addressing concerns about the limitations of the centralized policing system in tackling national insecurity. With 30 states already approving the amendment, the Senate hopes the extension of the deadline will allow the remaining six states to complete their approval process before the amendment is sent to the President for assent.