The Nigerian Senate has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across the country.

The bill was approved on Wednesday following a clause-by-clause consideration by lawmakers during plenary, which was presided over by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The passage came after the Senate adopted manual voting due to a technical failure of the electronic voting system. To ensure transparency and avoid disenfranchisement, each senator was required to stand, state their name, and declare their position on the bill.

The proposed legislation, earlier transmitted to the Senate by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture by allowing states to play a more active role in policing their territories.

The bill seeks to amend relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment and operation of state police across the federation.

For the amendment to become law, it must be ratified by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, meaning a minimum of 24 states must approve it.

The move is part of ongoing constitutional reform efforts to address the country’s security challenges.

More details to follow.