State Assemblies Approve Constitutional Amendment on State Police.

State Assemblies Approve Constitutional Amendment on State Police.

Twenty four State Houses of Assembly have approved a proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria, meeting the minimum number of state legislatures required for the amendment to proceed under the constitutional review process.

Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, announced the development on Friday, October 23, 2026.

The states that approved 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 and Zamfara.

The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to establish a legal framework for the creation of state police services alongside the existing federal police structure.

Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, an amendment requires the approval of at least two thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, amounting to 24 states, before it can proceed to the next stage.

The proposal followed its passage by both chambers of the National Assembly and subsequent transmission to the state legislatures for consideration.

The next steps in the constitutional process will determine the amendment’s progression towards presidential assent, subject to the applicable legal requirements.

Separately, the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, is undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice. The working group said the documents were expected to be returned by October 30 for further consideration.