Nigeria has moved a step closer to establishing state police after the National Assembly transmitted the 2026 Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to create state police services to the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
The development marks the next stage in the constitutional amendment process after the proposal was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, the proposed amendment must receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state assemblies, meaning a minimum of 24 states, before the process can move forward.
The bill seeks to establish a dual policing structure comprising federal and state police services. Under the proposed arrangement, state police would handle security matters within their respective jurisdictions, while the Federal Police would retain responsibility for issues such as terrorism, cross-border crimes and other matters of national security.
The proposed legislation also contains provisions aimed at addressing concerns over the possible abuse of state police. The Federal Police would retain certain intervention powers in situations involving serious threats to public order, national security or fundamental human rights.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, said the state legislatures had been asked to consider the bill in line with their legislative procedures and communicate their decisions to the National Assembly.
Although the Constitution does not prescribe a specific timeframe for state assemblies to respond, the National Assembly has asked them to complete the process within 30 days of receiving the bill. The Clerk clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative expectation rather than a constitutional deadline.
The establishment of state police has been debated in Nigeria for years, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing could improve local intelligence gathering and security responses.
However, concerns have also been raised over the possibility of political interference, accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights under state-controlled police structures.
The state assemblies will now determine whether the proposed constitutional amendment secures the required level of support, bringing Nigeria closer to a major restructuring of its policing architecture.
