State Police: 25 Assemblies back constitutional amendment as Gombe, Abia join push

Nigeria’s bid to establish state police has crossed a major legislative threshold, with 25 of the country’s 36 State Houses of Assembly reportedly endorsing the proposed constitutional amendment.

The development brings the long-running debate over decentralising the country’s policing system closer to a decisive stage, although the National Assembly is yet to formally certify the final number of valid state approvals.

A compilation of publicly reported legislative resolutions as of Friday, October 23, 2026, indicated that the number of approving assemblies had exceeded the minimum of 24 states required under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution for constitutional alteration.

The latest endorsements followed approvals by the Gombe and Abia State Houses of Assembly on Thursday.

In Gombe, lawmakers unanimously approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, after considering the report of a seven-member ad hoc committee set up to examine the proposed legislation.

The Speaker, Muhammad Abubakar Luggerewo, said the amendment would strengthen security by providing a policing framework capable of addressing local challenges.

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The Deputy Speaker, Sadam Bello Sale, who chaired the committee, said the proposed legislation contained 26 clauses that underwent legislative scrutiny before adoption.

Similarly, the Abia State House of Assembly endorsed the proposal following deliberations by lawmakers.

The Deputy Speaker, Austin Nmeregini, confirmed the unanimous approval, arguing that decentralising policing would enable states to respond more effectively to their specific security challenges.

The states reported to have endorsed the proposal are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and Abia.

The states without publicly confirmed approvals in the compiled tally are Bauchi, Borno, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Niger, Ondo and Sokoto.

Kaduna lawmakers also unanimously endorsed the amendment during Thursday’s sitting. The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Henry Marah, said state police would strengthen community security, improve the protection of lives and property, and create employment opportunities.

In Yobe, the House of Assembly adopted a resolution supporting the proposal. Its Speaker, Chiroma Buba Mashio, described the initiative as part of broader reforms to improve Nigeria’s response to emerging security threats.

The endorsements followed the transmission of the Sixth Alteration Bill by the National Assembly to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026.

The proposed amendment seeks to establish a dual policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, giving states the authority to create police organisations while retaining federal policing responsibilities.

Supporters say the arrangement would improve intelligence gathering, speed up responses to emergencies and strengthen cooperation between security agencies.

However, concerns persist over possible political interference, inadequate funding and the potential misuse of state police by governors against political opponents. Advocates of the reform have therefore called for safeguards to ensure accountability, operational independence, respect for human rights and professional standards.

Despite the reported 25-state backing, the constitutional amendment process remains incomplete.

The National Assembly must formally reconcile and verify the resolutions returned by state legislatures, particularly where approvals include observations or modifications.

Adamawa lawmakers, for instance, reportedly adopted 24 of the bill’s 26 clauses, rejecting two provisions, while Ekiti transmitted observations on aspects of the proposed framework.

Consequently, the National Assembly has yet to publicly certify that 25 valid concurrences have been received.

Meanwhile, the Presidency is advancing preparations for the proposed policing structure. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced on October 20 that it had completed the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills.

The documents were submitted to the Federal Ministry of Justice on October 19 for legislative drafting review and validation. The ministry is expected to return the reviewed bills by October 30 before the working group considers them for presentation to Tinubu.

Even after the constitutional amendment is completed, individual states will need to enact enabling laws and meet prescribed national requirements before establishing their police services.

The next major step is the formal verification of state legislative resolutions and completion of the remaining constitutional procedures.