The proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria has moved closer to becoming law, with 28 state Houses of Assembly approving the constitutional amendment bill, paving the way for its transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this on Tuesday, saying the approvals had exceeded the constitutionally required threshold of 24 states.
Ogunlana said his office had completed the administrative verification of the reports and voting records submitted by the state legislatures to authenticate their decisions.
He said the necessary processes were underway to transmit the bill to Tinubu in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act, Cap A2 (LFN) 2004.
“The office has also undertaken the necessary administrative verification of the reports and accompanying votes and proceedings to establish their authenticity and ensure that the records accurately reflect the decisions taken by the respective state Houses of Assembly,” he said.
The clerk added that the approvals secured from the required number of state legislatures had cleared the way for the next stage of the process.
The proposed amendment seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, amid growing concerns over Nigeria’s security challenges.
According to Ogunlana, the bill was transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval, with a 30-day deadline for communicating their decisions to the National Assembly.
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Although the deadline expired on October 15, he said his office would continue to receive reports from state legislatures until the bill was transmitted for presidential assent.
“Following the receipt and verification of the reports, the office confirms that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the Bill,” the statement read.
He explained that the approvals satisfied the constitutional requirement of not less than two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures, equivalent to 24 states, under Section 9 of the Constitution.
Ogunlana also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution did not expressly require a third reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure for ordinary bills.
“It is pertinent to clarify that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly prescribe a third reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary Bills,” he stated.
The proposed state police framework is expected to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system, which is currently controlled by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force.
Proponents of state police have argued that decentralised policing would strengthen intelligence gathering and enable security agencies to respond more effectively to local threats, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence.
However, the proposal has also attracted concerns over potential political interference, inadequate funding and possible human rights abuses under state-controlled police structures.
Ogunlana commended the state legislatures for their cooperation, describing the approvals as an important step towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and deepening its federal system.
He said his office would continue to provide updates on developments relating to the constitutional amendment.
The transmission of the bill to Tinubu would mark the next stage in the process of establishing state police in the country.
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