State police bill clears major hurdle as 28 assemblies approve constitutional amendment
A Nigeria Police officer on patrol with rifle on his shoulder
Nigeria’s proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police has secured approval from 28 State Houses of Assembly, exceeding the constitutionally required threshold and clearing a major hurdle towards its transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The National Assembly confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying it had received and verified the reports and voting records submitted by the 28 state legislatures.
The approval exceeds the minimum requirement of 24 states, representing two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly, under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
In a statement, the clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the reports and accompanying votes and proceedings had undergone administrative verification to confirm their authenticity and ensure they accurately reflected the decisions of the respective legislatures.
“Following the receipt and verification of the reports, the Office confirms that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the Bill,” Ogunlana said.
The proposed legislation, known as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters.
It was transmitted to the 36 state assemblies on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval.
The legislatures were initially given 30 days, ending October 15, to communicate their decisions to the National Assembly.
However, Ogunlana said his office would continue to receive reports from state assemblies until the bill is transmitted for presidential assent.
The development brings the proposed state police framework closer to becoming part of Nigeria’s constitutional arrangement, following years of debate over the effectiveness of the country’s centralised policing system.
Under the current structure, the Nigeria Police Force operates primarily as a federal institution, with responsibility for policing shared through a nationally coordinated command structure.
Advocates of state police have argued that state-controlled services could improve local intelligence, response times and community-level security, particularly in areas facing persistent kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other security threats.
The proposal has also generated concerns about possible political interference, human rights abuses and the capacity of state governments to fund and supervise separate police services.
The constitutional amendment is therefore expected to be accompanied by questions about operational safeguards, accountability, recruitment, funding and coordination between federal and state security agencies.
Ogunlana also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a third reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary legislation.
With 28 state assemblies having approved the proposal, the National Assembly has crossed the required numerical threshold.
The next stage is the formal transmission of the amendment for presidential assent, after which the legal and institutional arrangements for establishing state police will become central to implementation.
The eventual impact will depend not only on the constitutional change but also on the safeguards and resources put in place to ensure that state police services operate professionally and remain accountable to the public.
