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Nigeria’s Senate on Wednesday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police, marking a significant step toward overhauling the country’s security architecture amid growing concerns over insecurity across the federation.

The passage of the bill followed extensive deliberations by lawmakers and came after the upper legislative chamber adopted a manual voting process due to a technical malfunction in its electronic voting system.

The development represents one of the most consequential constitutional reforms considered by the National Assembly in recent years, as advocates have long argued that state-controlled policing would enhance grassroots security and improve responses to local threats.

Before the final consideration of the bill, senators expressed concerns over the reliability of the electronic voting device after it developed a fault during proceedings. Lawmakers warned that proceeding with the malfunctioning system could potentially disenfranchise some members and undermine the credibility of the voting process.

To address the challenge, the Senate resolved to switch to manual voting. Under the arrangement, each senator was required to stand, announce his or her name, and publicly declare a position on the proposed state police framework.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele moved the motion for the adoption of manual voting, which was subsequently approved by the chamber, paving the way for the consideration and eventual passage of the constitutional amendment.

The state police proposal has generated intense national debate, with supporters arguing that decentralising policing powers would strengthen security operations, improve intelligence gathering, and allow states to respond more effectively to local security challenges.

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However, critics have raised concerns about the possibility of abuse by state governments, warning that governors could potentially use state-controlled police forces for political purposes if adequate safeguards are not put in place.

Despite the differing views, Wednesday’s approval by the Senate marks a major legislative milestone in the push for constitutional reforms aimed at restructuring policing in Nigeria.

The bill is part of broader efforts by lawmakers to address persistent security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal clashes, and other forms of criminality affecting various parts of the country.

Further constitutional procedures, including concurrence by the House of Representatives and approval by state Houses of Assembly where required, are expected before the proposed amendment can become fully operational.