Nigeria’s intended constitutional amendment to establish State Police has suffered a setback, with only five of the 36 State Houses of Assembly having approved the bill as of Thursday, October 15, despite a 30-day deadline set by the National Assembly for the state legislatures to communicate their positions.
Only Assemblies of Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara have passed the proposed amendment, which seeks to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system and provides a constitutional framework for the establishment and operation of state police services.
Many other state legislatures are still studying the bill, consulting stakeholders or waiting to begin deliberations, leaving the proposed reform far 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 today, October 16, 2026.
In spite of the deadline, the leadership of the House of Representatives has yet to make a formal statement on the status of the exercise or explain the next steps following the limited number of approvals.
This situation raises questions about the pace of the constitutional amendment process, which requires broad support from state legislatures before the proposed changes can take effect.
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.
With only five states having approved the proposal, the bill remains a considerable distance from the required threshold.
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.
Supporters however argue that decentralised policing would enable states to respond more effectively to local security threats, while concerns have been raised over the possible political misuse of state-controlled security agencies.
The proposed amendment provides for a Federal Police Service alongside state police services, with each state empowered to establish its own service through legislation. It also outlines arrangements for the administration, oversight and accountability of state police personnel.