Rivers Assembly backs State Police as constitutional amendment moves to states

The Rivers State House of Assembly has endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services, adding its voice to the growing number of state legislatures considering a major overhaul of Nigeria’s policing structure.

The development comes as the National Assembly has transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.

The bill seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police Services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as the federal police service. The National Assembly clarified that the state police proposal is the only constitutional alteration bill so far transmitted to the state legislatures in the current exercise.

The transmission represents a critical stage in the constitutional amendment process. Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional alteration passed by the National Assembly must secure approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly — meaning at least 24 state legislatures — before the process can proceed.

The National Assembly transmitted the bill to the states on September 16, 2026, with the state legislatures asked to consider the proposal and communicate their resolutions. The 30-day period communicated to the assemblies is an administrative timeframe and not a constitutional deadline.

Rivers’ endorsement comes against the backdrop of a longstanding national debate over whether policing should remain exclusively under federal control.

Proponents of state police have argued that a decentralised policing structure would bring law enforcement closer to communities and enable states to respond more quickly to crimes and security threats within their territories. The proposal has gained renewed attention amid persistent challenges involving kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other forms of insecurity.

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The proposed framework would effectively move Nigeria from its current predominantly centralised policing arrangement towards a dual system comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

The National Assembly’s consideration of state police gathered momentum in 2026 after President Bola Tinubu transmitted an executive bill on the issue to lawmakers.

The Senate passed the executive-sponsored constitutional amendment on June 24, while the House of Representatives passed the same version on July 23.

The House had earlier passed its own version of a State Police constitutional amendment in June but subsequently rescinded that decision before adopting the executive version transmitted by the President.

Other state assemblies have also begun taking steps on the proposal. The Oyo State House of Assembly received the bill for consideration, while the Nasarawa Assembly scheduled consideration for September 28.

In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun had earlier expressed confidence that the 36 state legislatures could approve the proposal, describing state policing as a significant step in strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture.

However, the proposed reform has also generated concerns over the possible influence of state governors over state police, particularly during elections. Critics have argued that adequate institutional safeguards would be necessary to prevent the police from being used for political purposes.

The constitutional process therefore places the state assemblies at the centre of the next phase of the debate. If at least 24 assemblies approve the amendment, the proposal can proceed to the subsequent stages required for constitutional alteration.

For Rivers State, the Assembly’s position adds to the momentum behind the proposed restructuring of Nigeria’s policing architecture, while the final outcome will depend on the collective decisions of the 36 state legislatures and completion of the remaining constitutional requirements.