The National Assembly has secured the required legislative backing from 28 State Houses of Assembly for the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, paving the way for the bill to proceed to the presidential assent stage.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the approving states had endorsed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, which seeks to establish State Police Services and provide for related matters.
Ogunlana explained that the number of approving state legislatures had surpassed the constitutional requirement of 24 states, representing at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
He recalled that the bill was transmitted to all 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval, with a request that their decisions be communicated to the National Assembly within 30 days.
“Following the receipt and verification of the reports, the Office confirms that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the bill,” the statement read.
The Clerk said the Office of the National Assembly had conducted administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to authenticate the decisions submitted by the respective state legislatures.
He also clarified that the constitutional amendment process does not expressly require a Third Reading at the state assembly level, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary legislative bills.
According to him, the necessary administrative arrangements are being concluded to facilitate the transmission of the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
“In view of the approvals secured from the required number of State Houses of Assembly, the necessary administrative processes are being undertaken to facilitate the transmission of the bill to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for assent,” Ogunlana added.
The development marks a significant milestone in efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s policing structure, following years of debate over the need to empower state governments to establish and manage their own police services.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system under the Nigeria Police Force, with operational command and control vested in the Federal Government.
However, persistent security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other criminal activities, have intensified calls for alternative policing arrangements.
Proponents of state police argue that allowing states to establish their own security formations would strengthen intelligence gathering, improve community policing and ensure quicker responses to security threats at the grassroots.
They also maintain that decentralising policing would enable state governments to address security challenges peculiar to their respective jurisdictions.
Despite the growing support for the proposal, critics have expressed concerns that governors could exploit state-controlled police formations to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent and undermine the fundamental rights of citizens.
The proposed constitutional amendment is expected to establish the legal framework for State Police Services while defining their powers, responsibilities and relationship with the existing federal policing structure.
The National Assembly commended the state legislatures for their cooperation, describing the approvals as an important step towards strengthening the country’s security architecture and advancing its federal system of governance.
