By Stephen Simon
The proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria has moved closer to becoming law following its transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The House of Representatives transmitted the bill after its approval by at least 29 State Houses of Assembly, exceeding the constitutional requirement of two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed the development during Wednesday’s plenary, describing it as a significant step towards decentralising the country’s policing system.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish State Police Services alongside the Federal Police Service, allowing individual states to create and manage their own police formations.
The development follows months of legislative consultations and efforts by the National Assembly to secure the endorsement of state legislatures.
Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, any proposed constitutional alteration must receive approval from at least 24 state assemblies before it can proceed to the President.
Supporters of the reform have argued that decentralised policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based security and enable quicker responses to threats peculiar to individual states.
The proposed arrangement would also give state governments greater responsibility for maintaining law and order within their jurisdictions, while the Federal Government would retain the national police structure.
However, the reform has continued to generate discussions about accountability, funding, operational independence and safeguards against possible political interference in state policing.
The Senate has also indicated that it wants the remaining state assemblies to communicate their positions by November 15, 2026.
The development represents a major constitutional step in the country’s long-running debate over the restructuring of its policing architecture.
