POLITICS
State Police: National Assembly Transmits Constitutional Amendment Bill to Tinubu as Kalu Hails 30 States’ Approval
State Police: National Assembly Transmits Constitutional Amendment Bill to Tinubu as Kalu Hails 30 States’ Approval
The National Assembly has transmitted the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services to President Bola Tinubu for assent, marking a significant step towards decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, announced on Wednesday, November 4, that the bill had secured the backing of 29 State Houses of Assembly as of the close of business on Tuesday, paving the way for its transmission to the President.
Kalu made the announcement during plenary, describing the development as an important milestone in the country’s efforts to reform its security architecture.
“The State Police Bill has received the backing of 29 State Assemblies. Later today, the Clerk to the National Assembly will transmit it to the President for assent,” the Deputy Speaker said.
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However, subsequent proceedings in the Senate indicated that the number of approving state legislatures had risen to 30, further exceeding the constitutional requirement of at least 24 states out of the 36.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, confirmed the additional approval and explained that the constitutional amendment process required passage by the National Assembly, ratification by not less than two-thirds of the state legislatures and presidential assent.
The Senate subsequently gave the six remaining state assemblies until November 15 to communicate their positions. Senate President Godswill Akpabio said any state assembly that failed to respond by the deadline would be deemed to have withheld its approval.
The National Assembly’s decision to proceed with transmission followed confirmation that the required constitutional threshold had been met.
How the state police proposal reached this stage
The proposed amendment is part of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters.
The Senate passed its version of the proposal on June 24, while the House of Representatives approved the amendment on July 23 after considering the report of its Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Kalu.
Following its passage by the two chambers, the National Assembly transmitted the proposal to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration and approval.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, had earlier confirmed on November 3 that 28 state legislatures had approved the bill, exceeding the constitutional threshold of 24 states.
The subsequent confirmations brought the number to 30, providing the required legislative backing for the next stage of the amendment process.
What state police would mean for Nigeria
The proposed reform seeks to move Nigeria away from its largely centralised policing structure by allowing individual states to establish and manage their own police services alongside the federal police.
Under the current arrangement, policing is primarily controlled by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force, with the Inspector-General of Police exercising overall command.
Supporters of state police argue that the existing structure places considerable pressure on a centralised force expected to respond to security threats across a country with diverse geographical, social and security challenges.
They contend that allowing states to establish their own police services could improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based policing and enable faster responses to crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other local security threats.
The proposal, however, also raises important questions about accountability, operational independence, funding, recruitment and the possibility of political interference by state governors.
Critics of decentralised policing have repeatedly warned that state police structures could be abused by political officeholders if adequate constitutional safeguards, independent oversight and clear operational guidelines are not established.
These concerns are expected to remain central to discussions surrounding the implementation of the proposed reform.
Presidential assent and the next steps
With the bill transmitted to the Presidency, attention has shifted to President Tinubu’s consideration and assent.
The proposed constitutional amendment is a major step towards restructuring Nigeria’s policing framework, but the establishment of operational state police services will also require the necessary institutional arrangements, legislation and safeguards to govern their activities.
The reform is expected to redefine the relationship between federal and state authorities in the management of internal security, while determining how the two levels of policing will cooperate and share responsibilities.
For Kalu and other proponents of the amendment, the support secured from the state legislatures represents a significant breakthrough in a debate that has remained at the centre of Nigeria’s security and federalism discussions for years.
The ultimate test, however, will be whether the proposed system can deliver more effective policing while protecting citizens’ rights and preventing the misuse of security institutions.
