Abuja, Nigeria: Nigeria’s Senate will convene an emergency plenary session at 11:00 a.m. WAT (GMT+1) on June 23, 2026, to deliberate on the proposed State Police Bill.
Okay News reports that Nigeria’s Senate Spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed the legislative chamber is treating the state police legislation as a priority. “The Senate will be considering matters of public interest, especially national security,” Adaramodu said. “The State Police legislation will undoubtedly be a priority issue.”
The Clerk of the Senate, Emmanuel Odo, issued a memo on June 15, 2026, recalling lawmakers from a scheduled recess that was originally set to conclude on July 7, 2026. The sitting was convened at the direction of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to address national security concerns.
The proposed legislation requires the support of two-thirds of the senators to amend Sections 197, 214, and 215 of the 1999 Constitution. The amendment seeks to transfer policing authority from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing the 36 State Houses of Assembly to establish local police formations.
During the second reading of the bill on June 11, 2026, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele proposed safeguards including the creation of State Police Service Commissions and oversight by the Federal Police Service Commission. “is the possibility of abuse by state governments,” Bamidele said regarding concerns raised against the establishment of local forces.
The emergency session follows a nationwide broadcast earlier this month by Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, who stated that military forces had neutralized more than 13,000 terrorists over the past one year.
