The Bill was sent to the upper chamber on Tuesday by President Bola Tinubu.
The Police Act Amendment Bill proposes changes to the tenure of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, extending it beyond September.
The bill seeks to increase the retirement age of police officers from 60 to 65 years and their tenure of service from 35 to 40 years.
The new Police Act Amendment bill will enable an appointed Inspector General of Police remain in office for four years.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who is set to retire by September 2024, was behind the bill and is rumored to have allocated a significant amount of funds to lobby its passage.
However, stakeholders had expressed concerns over the bill.
The proposed extension of the service year and retirement age for police officers met with widespread criticism from key stakeholders, including the Police Service Commission (PSC), the Ministry of Police Affairs, and the National Salaries and Wages Commission during the public hearing.
The Ministry of Police Affairs in its submission warned that implementing the extension would have unintended and far-reaching consequences, detrimental to the overall health and operations of the police force. Moreover, it would set a dangerous precedent for other agencies, such as the military and paramilitary organisations.
The ministry also argued that increasing the service years of police personnel would lead to stagnation, hindering progress and innovation within the force, while also negatively impacting motivation and adaptability.
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