The proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria has crossed a major constitutional hurdle after 24 State Houses of Assembly approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill disclosed this in a statement on Friday, October 23, describing the approvals as meeting the constitutional requirement of two-thirds of the 36 states.
The group, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, commended the state assemblies for supporting the proposed reform and acknowledged the National Assembly for passing the amendment through both chambers.
According to the statement, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent, in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The development is expected to provide constitutional backing for the proposed dual policing structure, which the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026, is designed to implement.
The group said work on the draft legislation was progressing, with the proposed bills undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
It added that the documents were expected to be returned to the group on or before October 30, 2026, for final consideration before presentation to the President.
The statement said the group remained committed to advancing the reform and urged relevant stakeholders to support the transition to a dual policing system.
“The Working Group urges all stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system that makes Nigerians safer,” the statement read.
The proposed state police system is part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture by establishing a dual policing arrangement involving federal and state-level police structures.
The constitutional amendment’s approval by the required number of state assemblies marks a significant step towards the proposed reform, although presidential assent and the necessary legislative framework remain important stages in the process.
