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Senate to debate State Police bill this week
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The Senate has intensified efforts to establish state police, declaring that the constitutional amendment required to decentralise policing across the country will be prioritised this week.
Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the National Assembly had resolved to fast-track the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution, describing the creation of state police as a necessary response to the nation’s worsening security challenges.
Bamidele, who disclosed this in an interview in Abuja on Monday, said the proposal enjoyed broad support from President Bola Tinubu, state governors and other stakeholders, adding that there was now a national consensus on the need to establish state police.
The renewed push comes amid growing concerns over terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence across the country, with recent attacks, including the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State and attacks on military men across the regions, further strengthening calls for a decentralised policing system.
Currently, Section 214(1) of the 1999 Constitution provides for a single national police force.
It states that, “There shall be a Police Force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force.”
However, Bamidele said there was now a broad consensus among stakeholders that the time had come to establish state police.
He said, “Our position is very clear on state police. We are standing with Nigerians on the issue of state police. All strata of the federation have made it clear that there cannot be a better time to establish a state police than now.
“That is where we stand. Where we come in now is to help translate this popular desire of the people into reality as elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“We concluded that we are going to pass the constitutional amendment in this respect to make a provision for the state police. If I can tell you as of today, that will come to fruition this very week because there is no need to allow any further delay.”
According to him, consultations involving the National Assembly, the Presidency and security agencies had advanced significantly, paving the way for legislative action.
“There have been a series of meetings between the National Assembly. When I say the National Assembly, I mean Chairman, Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Barau Jibrin and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Rt Hon Benjamin Kalu, both of whom are representing the National Assembly.
“They had been in a series of meetings with the office of the Attorney-General, Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tunji Disu and other stakeholders in the last week, and that is why I can sit here to tell you that we’re pursuing that this week.
“It is going to be the subject we will be dealing with this week. What we have resolved to do is to isolate it with the rest of the bills that we have proposed under constitutional amendment so that we can vote on this as soon as possible,” he said.
Bamidele explained that the state police proposal would be treated separately from other constitutional amendment bills to fast-track its passage and transmission to the states for ratification.
“The bill can as well be on its way to the 36 state Houses of Assembly as soon as possible because you know we will need two-thirds of the state houses of assembly to approve it before the President can assent to it.
“The President is also with us on this proposal. I am sure he cannot wait for the bill to come to him for assent.
“I am sure the majority of our governors, as we know, are in support of this bill. The state houses of assembly are also waiting for this bill to come. We will initiate the proposal for the creation of state police within the week.”
Under the constitutional amendment process, any alteration to the Constitution must be approved by at least two-thirds of the National Assembly and ratified by no fewer than 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can be signed into law by the President.
The renewed push for state police follows years of debate over the decentralisation of policing powers, with supporters arguing that governors and local authorities are better positioned to tackle security threats within their jurisdictions.
Opponents, however, have raised concerns about possible abuse of such police formations by state governments.
Earlier, Gbajabiamila disclosed that Tinubu would soon receive a comprehensive report on the proposed creation of state police as consultations on the constitutional framework for its establishment neared completion.
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has filed, among nine reliefs, a fresh N10 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that the agency has prevented his wife and son from visiting him in custody.
In the meantime, El-Rufai’s son and representative of Kaduna North Federal Constituency, Mohammed El-Rufai, over the weekend celebrated his father and stepmother, Asia, on their 27th wedding anniversary.
The former minister’s originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026 and filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on August 13, 2026, by El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, also listed the ICPC chairman and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as second and third defendants.
He alleged that his wife, Aichatou Asabe, and son, Abba el-Rufai, were prevented from accessing him despite an existing court order permitting visits by his family members and legal representatives.
The former governor asked the court to declare that his fundamental rights under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his detention by the ICPC.
He alleged that the repeated denial of access to his family members had prevented them from providing him with food, medication and other necessities.
According to him, the alleged restriction violated his rights to dignity, private and family life as guaranteed under Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution, as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Also alleging that ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated his wife and son during an incident on July 7, he asked the court to declare the alleged conduct and continued denial of family access without lawful authority unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.
The former governor further sought an order directing the ICPC and other respondents to grant him unhindered and reasonable access to his family and lawyers throughout his detention, in line with an earlier order of the Federal High Court.
According to el-Rufai, the alleged actions had subjected him to “humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.”
He argued that the respondents’ conduct amounted to an unjustifiable interference with his dignity and family life and was inconsistent with constitutional protections and provisions of the African Charter.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Facebook, Mohammed described his stepmother as the “glue” of the family and praised her for her compassion, intellect and support for vulnerable people.
He recalled how Asia took him back to Zaria Academy when he was in Junior Secondary School 1, describing her as “an avid reader, a brilliant lawyer” and a woman whose compassion extended beyond her immediate family.
He said his stepmother devoted herself to supporting widows and orphans during his father’s tenure as governor, while also crediting her with shaping his values and approach to representing Kaduna North.
“Every good thing we continue to do for Kaduna North is due to the teachings and knowledge she has imparted in me since I was 11 years old. Every bad thing is my fault,” he said.
Reflecting on Asia and his father’s marriage, Mohammed said he had witnessed his stepmother’s unwavering support for his father through different periods of his life. He added that her strength and presence had remained a source of comfort, particularly as his father’s detention continues.
Abdulaziz Umar Ganduje, the eldest son of former Governor of Kano State and ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has returned to the ruling party after a brief defection to the New Democratic Congress (NDC).
On Sunday, Abdulaziz was formally received back into the APC fold at the Ganduje Ward office in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, where he collected his membership card.
Party officials and supporters were present to witness the occasion, which was seen as a reaffirmation of loyalty to the APC structure in Kano.
Abdulaziz had earlier joined the NDC and picked up its nomination form to contest the Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency seat. His move was widely interpreted as aligning with the Kwankwasiyya movement of former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a long-time rival of his father.
His return to APC comes after the deadline for obtaining nomination forms had closed, meaning the action was symbolic rather than an immediate electoral bid. It is, however, viewed as a significant step in consolidating the Ganduje family’s political base in Dawakin Tofa.
Kano politics has for years been shaped by the rivalry between Kwankwaso’s Kwankwasiyya movement and Ganduje’s APC faction.
Abdulaziz’s earlier defection was seen as a boost to Kwankwasiyya, while his return strengthens his father’s camp ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on his victory at the polls over the weekend.
The NGF, in a statement by the Forum’s Chairman and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, acknowledged the strides and personality of the Governor, which readily paid off at the keenly contested election.
“The Forum similarly commends the people of the state for the large turnouts during the election. We believe that the interest that the off-cycle ballot generated again confirms the resilience of the Nigerian democracy.
“The Forum acknowledges the incredibly important role that opposition parties also play in shaping our democracy and we commend all the candidates for their efforts.
“The NGF commends the security agencies for curtailing the initial trend of violence in the days leading to the election and creating a secure condition for the exercise to proceed without much incidents.
“Finally, we acknowledge the statesmanlike role that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has played as he carefully balanced his position as the leader of the ruling party on the one hand and the father of the nation on the other.
“We are confident that HE Ademola Adeleke will continue to build on the successes of his first term in the overall interest of the people of Osun State,” the statement added.
el-Rufai files fresh N10b suit against ICPC for allegedly denying family access to him
Ganduje’s son returns to APC after 3 months in Kwankwaso’s NDC
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