The National Assembly has received approval reports from 28 State Houses of Assembly for the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services across Nigeria.
The development means the bill has secured the support of more than the constitutionally required two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures, clearing a major hurdle in the amendment process.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that 28 states had approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, which seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters.
According to Ogunlana, Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution requires approval from at least 24 State Houses of Assembly before a constitutional amendment can proceed.
He explained that the bill was transmitted to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval, with a request that their decisions be communicated to the National Assembly within 30 days.
Although the deadline expired on October 15, Ogunlana said his office would continue to receive approval 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.
The Clerk added that his office had carried out administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to authenticate the decisions communicated by the state legislatures.
He also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a Third Reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure for ordinary bills.
“In view of the approvals secured from the required number of State Houses of Assembly, the necessary administrative processes are being undertaken to facilitate the transmission of the bill to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for assent,” Ogunlana stated.
The development marks a significant stage in the longstanding debate over the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised police structure under the Nigeria Police Force, with operational command and control vested in the Federal Government.
Proponents of state police have argued that allowing state governments to establish their own police formations would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based policing and enable faster responses to security threats.
The proposal has gained attention amid persistent security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other criminal activities across the country.
However, critics have expressed concerns that governors could misuse state-controlled police formations to intimidate political opponents, undermine civil liberties or settle political scores.
The proposed constitutional amendment is expected to establish the legal framework for State Police Services and define their relationship with the existing federal policing structure.
The National Assembly 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.
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