Like a blitz, eight State Houses of Assembly yesterday swiftly approved the proposed constitutional amendment to establish State Police in a last-minute attempt to beat the 30-day deadline set by the National Assembly for the state legislatures to communicate their positions on decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.
State lawmakers in Kwara, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ogun, Delta, Cross River, Plateau and Enugu unanimously approved the bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria, in a move aimed at strengthening security, improving crime prevention and enhancing public safety across the states. This brings the number of states already with legislative backing for state police to 13. Only five of the 36 State Houses of Assembly had already approved the bill before yesterday.
Also yesterday, the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill completed drafting the proposed legislation and submitted it, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review and validation. The submission was made to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, in line with the Working Group’s work plan. Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
Earlier, there had been fears that the State Police bill may have suffered a setback, with only five of the 36 State Houses of Assembly having approved the bill as of Thursday, October 16, leaving the proposed reform short of the constitutional requirement for approval by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly. The bill was transmitted to the state legislatures on September 16, 2026, following its passage by the Senate on June 24 and the House of Representatives on July 23. The 30-day period given to the Assemblies was due to expire on October 16.
Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution requires a constitutional alteration to be approved by resolutions of at least two-thirds of all state Houses of Assembly, representing 24 of the 36 states, before it can be presented for presidential assent. The bill is still 11 states short of the required threshold for eventual passage into law. The establishment of state police has featured prominently in Nigeria’s security debate amid persistent challenges involving banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, communal violence and other criminal activities.
Gbajabiamila said the Ministry’s review would ensure that the bills complied with legislative drafting standards and conventions and did not conflict with existing laws. The Ministry is expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before October 30. The Working Group will then give the bills final consideration before presenting them to President Bola Tinubu, thereby concluding its mandate.
The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services. The Working Group said the process remained rigorous and transparent, with the aim of producing a comprehensive legislative proposal for the President’s consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
The drafting process is proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by the State Houses of Assembly. The constitutional amendment process must be completed before the bill is transmitted to the National Assembly.
The working group said it remained committed to a rigorous and transparent process that would produce a comprehensive legislative proposal for the President’s consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
The development comes as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, is undergoing consideration by the state Houses of Assembly. The constitutional amendment process must be completed before the bill is transmitted to the National Assembly, highlighting the parallel legislative steps required to advance the proposed policing reforms.
In the states, Enugu State House of Assembly yesterday passed a resolution backing the creation of the state police. The lawmakers passed the resolution during plenary and Speaker Uche Ugwu announced the resolution in a statement. Ugwu, who represents Udi North State Constituency in the assembly, said, during the plenary, members of the House voted in support of the bill seeking alteration of the Nigerian constitution to provide for the establishment of the state police.
The Speaker said lawmakers extolled the vision and courage of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government and the leadership of the party at all levels to listen to the “heartbeat of Nigerians” by supporting state police creation. The agitation for creation of state police has raged on for more than two decades, as Nigeria increasingly grappled with widening security challenges.
The campaign also divided Nigerians, with antagonists expressing fears over possible abuse by state governors and supporters insisting that its benefits outweigh its downside. But President Bola Tinubu later adopted the creation of state police as one of his cardinal programmes to address insecurity across Nigeria. The proposed model is intended to bring policing closer to communities, allowing officers to respond more quickly to local security challenges and draw on better knowledge of the communities they serve.
Also, the Delta State House of Assembly approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the establishment of State Police in the country. The bill was passed during plenary, presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor, with all 23 members present voting in support of the proposed constitutional alteration. No member voted against the bill, while none abstained from voting, reflecting unanimous support among the lawmakers who participated in the exercise.
Following the passage, Guwor directed the Clerk of the House to formally communicate the Assembly’s approval to the National Assembly for further legislative action in accordance with the constitutional amendment process.
Addressing his colleagues after the vote, the Speaker commended the lawmakers for approving the bill, describing the decision as an important step towards establishing a policing structure that would be more responsive to the security needs of communities across the country.
He explained that a decentralised policing system, if properly structured and implemented, could enhance the ability of security operatives to understand the peculiar security challenges of individual communities and respond more promptly to emerging threats.
Similarly, the Plateau State House of Assembly adopted the recommendations of its Ad-hoc Committee on the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria, amid persistent security challenges across the country. The decision was taken during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Naanlong Daniel, following the presentation of the committee’s report by its chairman, Prof. Theodore Bala Maiyaki.
It was the same in Ogun State as the House of Assembly passed a resolution supporting the consideration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, on the establishment of State Police Services. The passage of the resolution followed the presentation of the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review chaired by a former Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, who presented the committee’s report on 26 clauses and sectional amendments to the Constitution.
Oluomo took the proposed amendments one after the other, with members voting in favour of all the clauses and sections contained in the amendments. The proposed amendments covered different aspects of the bill, including the substitution, insertion and alteration of specific constitutional provisions.
The lawmaker later moved the motion for the adoption of the committee’s report, seconded by Adegoke Adeyanju and supported by all the members through a voice vote. The House Leader, Yusuf Sherif, subsequently moved that the report be adopted as a resolution of the House, seconded by the Chief Whip, Omolola Bakare, and was unanimously supported by all the lawmakers through a voice vote.
In his remarks, Speaker Elemide noted that the Assembly joined other State Houses of Assembly across the country in supporting the establishment of State Police, describing the Assembly’s decision as historic. He added that the passage of the resolution reflected the position of the lawmakers and the people of the State in supporting the establishment of State Police to strengthen security through improved security measures in protecting the lives and property of the citizenry, thereby promoting the social well-being and economic development of the State.
The Speaker later directed that a clean copy of the resolution be transmitted to the National Assembly to communicate the State’s support for the establishment of State Police Services.
In Cross River, the State House of Assembly threw its weight behind the creation of state police, passing the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, with all 22 members present voting in favour and none against, as lawmakers pushed for a decentralised policing system to tackle insecurity. Three of the Assembly’s 25 members were absent from plenary during the vote.
Speaker of the House, Elvert Ayambem, said the vote reflected the Assembly’s commitment to supporting constitutional reforms aimed at addressing security challenges and protecting lives and property. He stressed that implementation of state policing must be guided by the rule of law, accountability and democratic principles. He said state police must operate within the confines of the law and respect the fundamental rights of citizens.
The Taraba State House of Assembly also unanimously approved a bill seeking the establishment of state police in Nigeria, in a move aimed at strengthening security, improving crime prevention and enhancing public safety across the state. The lawmakers approved the bill on Tuesday after it was presented to the Speaker, John Kizito Bonzena, and laid before the House by the Majority Leader, Jethro Yakubu Zikengyu, for consideration.
Speaking on the development, Bonzena said the proposed state police system would help curb criminal activities, create employment opportunities and improve collaboration among security agencies operating in Taraba State. He explained that the initiative would strengthen the capacity of security institutions to respond more effectively to emerging security challenges and improve the protection of lives and property.
The Clerk of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Salmuna Amos Sani, is expected to formally communicate the lawmakers’ decision to the National Assembly for further legislative action. The communication will enable the state legislature’s position on the bill to be considered within the ongoing legislative process surrounding the proposed establishment of state police.