National Assembly Targets December 2026 To Complete State Police Law As 30 States Approve Reform

National Assembly Targets December 2026 to Complete State Police Law as 30 States Approve Reform The National Assembly has set December 2026 as its target for completing the remaining legislative processes required to establish state police in Nigeria, following approval of the proposed constitutional amendment by at least 30 state Houses of Assembly. Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed this on Thursday while addressing participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, Plateau State. Bamidele, who is also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, said the approvals had satisfied the constitutional requirement for amending the 1999 Constitution. He described the development as a significant milestone in efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s security architecture after more than 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to establish state police through constitutional amendments. According to Bamidele, although the required number of state assemblies has approved the proposal, the amendment must still pass through additional legislative procedures before becoming law. He explained that the National Assembly would collate reports submitted by the state legislatures, consider their positions and pass the required resolution by a simple majority in both chambers. Following the resolution, the proposed constitutional amendment will be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent. “We have set a clear timeline for ourselves. We intend to conclude all these legislative stages – consideration of reports, passage of resolution, and transmission for presidential assent – on or before December 2026,” Bamidele said. He noted that Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution requires approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly for constitutional alterations. The approval by 30 states therefore exceeds the required threshold of 24 states.The Senate Leader said the proposed reform would allow individual states to develop policing structures better equipped to understand their local environments, communicate in indigenous languages and respond more effectively to community-specific security challenges. He explained that decentralising policing would bring law enforcement closer to residents and improve the ability of security agencies to respond to threats within their jurisdictions. Bamidele, however, stressed that the initiative was not designed to establish independent state armies or weaken the Federal Government. “It is not about creating state armies, but about creating state-led, community-anchored policing within clear constitutional safeguards, operational standards, oversight mechanisms and human rights protections,” he said. The establishment of state police has remained a major subject of national debate, particularly amid persistent insecurity, kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities across different parts of Nigeria. Supporters of the proposal have argued that the existing centralised policing structure faces challenges in addressing security threats across the country’s diverse communities. The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to introduce state-controlled police services that would operate alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force. However, concerns have also been raised about the potential misuse of state police by political officeholders, making constitutional safeguards, accountability and independent oversight important components of the proposed framework. Bamidele credited the 10th National Assembly, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, with prioritising legislative reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s security and development challenges. He also argued that legislative performance should not be measured solely by the number of bills passed but by their actual impact on citizens.According to him, effective lawmaking requires proper implementation, adequate funding, credible administration and regular monitoring. He called for stronger collaboration between the National Assembly and NIPSS to promote evidence-based policymaking and improve legislative effectiveness. The Senate Leader expressed confidence that completing the remaining constitutional procedures by December would move Nigeria closer to establishing a decentralised policing system. The proposed amendment, however, will only become law after the outstanding legislative requirements and presidential assent have been completed.