State Police13 Assemblies Approve Bill As FG Reviews 29 Related Amendments

State Police13 Assemblies Approve Bill as FG Reviews 29 Related Amendments Thirteen State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria, following the endorsement of the bill by eight additional states amid efforts to meet the constitutional requirement for its passage. The eight states are Kwara, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ogun, Delta, Cross River, Plateau and Enugu. Their approvals bring the total number of state legislatures supporting the proposal to 13, leaving the initiative 11 states short of the required 24 approvals. The development comes as the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has submitted the proposed legislation and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review and validation. The move is part of ongoing efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system in response to persistent security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence. The eight assemblies reportedly approved the constitutional amendment on Tuesday, October 20, joining Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, which had earlier endorsed the proposal. The proposed reform seeks to establish a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and state police services. Supporters argue that allowing states to establish their own police services could improve local intelligence gathering, strengthen community-level security and enable quicker responses to criminal activities. However, the proposal has also generated concerns about potential political interference, accountability, funding and the protection of citizens’ rig Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment must be approved by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, representing 24 states, before it can proceed to presidential assent. With 13 assemblies having approved the proposal, another 11 must endorse it to meet the constitutional threshold. The bill was transmitted to state legislatures on September 16, 2026, after being passed by the Senate on June 24 and the House of Representatives on July 23. The approval process is therefore a crucial stage in determining whether the proposed decentralisation of policing can proceed. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has completed drafting the proposed legislation alongside 29 related amendment bills and submitted the documents to the Federal Ministry of Justice. The Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the working group, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the submission in Abuja. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, is expected to oversee the review and validation process to ensure that the bills comply with legislative drafting standards and do not conflict with existing laws. The ministry is expected to return the reviewed documents to the working group by October 30 for further consideration before they are presented to President Bola Tinubu. The push for state police has gained momentum amid continuing concerns about the capacity of Nigeria’s centralised policing structure to respond effectively to security threats across the country. Advocates say decentralised policing could bring law enforcement closer to communities and improve responses to local threats. Critics, however, have warned that state police could be abused by political officeholders unless strong safeguards are established to guarantee operational independence, accountability and respect for human rights. The proposed legislation is expected to provide a framework for the relationship between federal and state police services, including their powers, responsibilities and oversight. Despite the growing number of approvals, the proposed state police system cannot be established through the current process until the constitutional amendment secures the required support from at least 24 state assemblies and completes the remaining legislative steps. The coming weeks will be critical as state lawmakers consider the proposal and the Federal Ministry of Justice reviews the draft legislation.