State Police: 25 State Assemblies Approve Constitutional Amendment

Twenty-five State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed constitutional amendment for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, surpassing the required two-thirds threshold for altering the 1999 Constitution.

The development brings the country closer to adopting a dual policing system comprising federal and state police services.

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, confirmed on Friday that 24 state assemblies had approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, meeting the constitutional requirement.

However, a compilation of state legislative decisions published by TheCable on October 23 put the number of approving assemblies at 25, following the inclusion of Gombe State.

The states listed as having approved the amendment are Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara, Adamawa, Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Taraba, Yobe and Kebbi.

Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, an amendment requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, in addition to the prescribed approval by the National Assembly.

The National Assembly had earlier passed the proposed amendment in both chambers before transmitting it to the state legislatures for consideration.

Gbajabiamila said the approval would allow the constitutional amendment to return to the National Assembly for onward transmission to President Tinubu for assent.

In a statement issued on Friday, he also disclosed that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and accompanying consequential amendment bills were undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.

He said the documents were expected to be returned to the Presidential Working Group on or before October 30 for final consideration before presentation to the President.

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The proposed constitutional amendment is intended to provide the legal foundation for a dual policing structure, while the National Policing Bill would establish the framework for its implementation.

Section 214 of the Constitution currently provides for a Nigeria Police Force and prohibits the establishment of another police force for the federation or any part of it.

Supporters of state police argue that decentralising policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen security at the grassroots and enable law enforcement officers to respond more effectively to local threats, including kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.

However, the establishment of operational state police formations would depend on the completion of the constitutional and legislative processes, followed by the necessary arrangements for recruitment, training, funding, command structures and oversight.

Concerns have also been raised over the potential for political interference, the financial capacity of individual states and the need for clear boundaries between federal and state police responsibilities.

The proposed reform is expected to define the respective roles of the two levels of policing and provide safeguards for accountability and cooperation.

Although the required threshold has been met, state police cannot begin operating solely on the strength of the state assemblies’ approvals. The remaining legal steps and implementation arrangements must first be completed.