Senate Rejects Motion To Fast-Track State Police
By Fly Cable News
There was a palpable surprise in the Senate chamber when lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected a motion to fast-track the creation of state police.
Senators deliberated on the worsening security situation across parts of Northern Nigeria.
The debate was triggered by Senator Emmanuel Udende (Benue North-East), who drew the attention of the chamber to rising insecurity in his senatorial district.
He recounted how he narrowly escaped an attack by suspected gunmen during a church programme days earlier.
His account set the tone for a broader debate, with several senators expressing concern over the deteriorating security landscape nationwide and calling for urgent, practical measures to address the crisis.
Presiding over the session, Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, who stood in for Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the time, invited additional motions following the contributions.
Lawmakers proposed a range of measures aimed at strengthening the country’s security architecture.
However, when Senator Anthony Ani took the floor and called for legislative steps to fast-track the establishment of state police, the mood of the chamber shifted.
In a surprising turn, the motion failed to secure a single supporting voice when put to a vote. A resounding “nay” echoed across the chamber, prompting the presiding officer to strike the gavel and formally reject the proposal.
Ani, visibly taken aback, took his seat, appearing dejected as he absorbed the reaction of his colleagues.
The Senate’s position appears to contrast sharply with recent remarks by President Bola Tinubu, who, on February 25, 2026, declared that the creation of state police had become inevitable.
Speaking during an interfaith Iftar dinner with state governors at the State House, Abuja, the President said the issue was “no longer about politics or sentiment, but about survival, safety, and peace for our citizens.”
Tinubu disclosed that steps had already been initiated to accelerate the process, urging governors and the National Assembly to work together on the constitutional amendments required to establish state policing.
He also noted that the current centralised policing system is overstretched and can no longer effectively meet the country’s security demands.
The Senate’s rejection of Ani’s motion, however, raises questions about the level of alignment between the executive and the legislature on the issue, and whether consensus can be reached on one of the most contentious security reforms in recent times.
