๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ: ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฎ
The National Assembly is preparing to transmit the proposed State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent after securing approval from 28 of Nigeriaโs 36 State Houses of Assembly.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the approvals exceeded the constitutional requirement of at least 24 state legislatures for a constitutional amendment.
Ogunlana said his office had completed the administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to authenticate the decisions of the respective state legislatures.
He explained that the necessary procedures were underway to facilitate the transmission of the bill to the President in line with the Acts Authentication Act.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services, as part of broader efforts to decentralise Nigeriaโs policing system and address growing security challenges.
According to the Clerk, the bill was forwarded to all 36 state assemblies on September 16, 2026, for consideration, with a 30-day deadline for their decisions to be communicated to the National Assembly.
Although the deadline elapsed on October 15, Ogunlana said his office continued to receive and verify submissions from state legislatures until the required threshold was achieved.
He also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a third reading for constitutional alteration bills, unlike the procedure for ordinary legislation.
The proposed establishment of state police has generated sustained national debate, with supporters arguing that decentralised policing would strengthen intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to local security threats, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence.
However, concerns persist over possible political interference, inadequate funding and the protection of citizens’ rights under state-controlled police structures.
Nigeria currently operates a centralised policing system through the Nigeria Police Force, with state governments having no independent police commands.
Ogunlana commended the state legislatures for their cooperation, describing the development as an important step towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and deepening its federal system.
The transmission of the bill to Tinubu will advance the constitutional amendment process to its next stage.
