Nigerian Senate to Vote on State Police Bill Wednesday

The Nigerian Senate is preparing to pass a state police bill on Wednesday, aimed at amending the 1999 Constitution to decentralize the country's police system. This decision was announced on Tuesday, with the Senate cutting short its session break to address the bill.

The bill, sent by President Bola Tinubu, seeks to establish a dual police structure comprising federal and state police that will operate concurrently. Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to an ad hoc committee chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, which is expected to report back for consideration and voting on Wednesday.

Akpabio emphasized the importance of the bill in addressing Nigeria's security challenges and urged the Senate to prioritize its passage. The bill requires a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass, with a minimum of 240 votes needed from the House and 72 from the Senate.

The bill has received support across various geopolitical zones in Nigeria.