The Bayelsa State House of Assembly has approved a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution seeking to establish state police services in Nigeria, adding its support to ongoing efforts to decentralise the country’s policing system.
The approval followed the transmission of the proposed sixth alteration to the Constitution by the National Assembly to all 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration and endorsement.
The lawmakers considered the proposal during plenary in the Committee of the Whole before voting in favour of the amendment. The Speaker of the Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Michael Ogbere, commended members for their prompt consideration and approval of the proposal.
Ingobere described the decision as an important milestone for the Seventh Assembly, noting that the lawmakers’ participation and contributions reflected their commitment to legislative responsibilities and issues affecting governance, security and public welfare.
The proposed amendment seeks to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment and operation of state police services. If the amendment completes the required constitutional process, states would be able to establish their own police services alongside the federal policing structure.
However, the approval by the Bayelsa Assembly does not mean state police can begin operating immediately. The proposal must still satisfy the constitutional requirements for amendments before it can take effect.
In a related development, the Assembly conducted the first readings of two bills: the Ijaw Cultural Heritage Bill and the Retirement Age for Magistrates and Chairmen of Customary Courts Bill, 2026.
The Ijaw Cultural Heritage Bill seeks to promote and preserve the cultural identity, traditions and heritage of the Ijaw people, while the second bill concerns the retirement age of magistrates and chairmen of customary courts in the state.
Both bills will undergo further legislative consideration and scrutiny before the Assembly decides on their passage.
The latest decisions highlight the Bayelsa Assembly’s ongoing legislative activities on security, cultural preservation and judicial administration.
