Nigeria’s proposed state policing framework has moved a step closer to implementation as five state Houses of Assembly — Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa — approved the constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police services, while the Federal Government advances work on the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026.
The Presidential Working Group (PWG) on the National Policing Bill disclosed that it had submitted the draft bill and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
The submission, made on October 19, 2026, marks the completion of the drafting stage of the working group’s assignment and sets the stage for further consideration before the proposed legislation is presented to President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the working group, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said the Ministry of Justice was expected to return the validated bills on or before October 30, 2026.
According to the statement, the ministry’s review is intended to ensure that the proposed legislation meets established legislative drafting standards and does not conflict with existing laws.
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Following the review, the working group will give the validated bills final consideration before presenting them to the President for further action.
Proposed law seeks federal, state police services
The proposed National Policing Bill, 2026, is designed to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing system comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The framework is expected to replace the existing constitutional arrangement under which the Nigeria Police Force operates as a single national police force.
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The proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend Section 214 of the Constitution to provide for the establishment of federal and state police services.
The constitutional amendment was transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for consideration and approval.
Under the constitutional amendment process, at least 24 of the 36 state assemblies must approve the proposed alteration before it can proceed to the next stage.
The Senate passed the bill on June 24, 2026, while the House of Representatives subsequently approved it on July 23, 2026, according to details contained in the correspondence sent to state legislatures.
Gbajabiamila had earlier told State House correspondents on October 15 that the policing bill was 90 per cent ready and was expected to be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.
However, the working group’s latest statement indicates that the Ministry of Justice’s review and validation process remains a key step before the executive can finalise its proposal.
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State assemblies endorse constitutional amendment
Ogun, Delta, Plateau and Kwara are among the states that have formally supported the proposed constitutional amendment, while Adamawa approved 24 of the 26 clauses considered by its lawmakers.
In Ogun State, the House of Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the establishment of state police after considering the report of its Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review.
The committee, chaired by former Speaker Olakunle Oluomo, presented its report on 26 clauses and sectional amendments to the Constitution.
Following deliberations, lawmakers voted in favour of the proposed amendments, with Speaker Daisi Elemide describing the decision as historic.
Elemide said the establishment of state police would strengthen security, improve the protection of lives and property, and promote social wellbeing and economic development.
He subsequently directed the Clerk of the House to transmit a clean copy of the resolution to the National Assembly to formally communicate the state’s position.
In Delta State, all 23 lawmakers present at plenary voted in favour of the proposed constitutional amendment.
The Speaker, Emomotimi Guwor, said the reform would bring policing closer to communities, improve intelligence gathering and strengthen the state’s capacity to respond to security challenges.
The Majority Leader, Emeka Nwaobi, also argued that allowing states to establish and fund their own police services would help address rising insecurity, particularly at the local level.
Other lawmakers supported the proposal, citing its potential to create employment opportunities, improve security responses and strengthen grassroots intelligence gathering.
The Delta Assembly directed its clerk, Otto Aghoghophia, to communicate the resolution to the National Assembly.
Kwara, Plateau back state police
The Kwara State House of Assembly also approved the proposed constitutional amendment during plenary in Ilorin.
The approval followed the reading of a letter from the Clerk to the National Assembly by Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.
The development was disclosed in a statement by the Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Abdulkadir Yusuf.
Leading the debate, the House Leader, Mogaji Abdulkadri, outlined the potential benefits of the proposed amendment.
Other lawmakers who supported the proposal said establishing state police would bring security closer to the people and improve the protection of lives and property across the country.
The Speaker directed the Clerk of the Assembly, Ahmed Olayiwola, to communicate the House’s approval to the National Assembly for further action.
Similarly, the Plateau State House of Assembly endorsed the amendment after adopting the report of its Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review.
The committee’s chairman, Prof. Theodore Maiyaki, said the proposal was necessary in view of Nigeria’s prevailing security challenges, manpower shortages in the Nigeria Police Force and the need to strengthen local policing arrangements.
The committee also highlighted the importance of safeguards for human rights, operational standards, accountability and coordination between federal and state police services.
The House subsequently adopted the committee’s recommendations and voted in support of the proposed constitutional alteration.
Adamawa rejects two clauses
In Adamawa State, lawmakers approved 24 of the 26 clauses of the proposed state police constitutional amendment, rejecting two clauses they considered insufficiently clear.
The decision was taken during an emergency sitting presided over by Speaker Bathiya Wesley.
The lawmakers reportedly spent more than two hours examining the provisions before voting on the individual clauses.
After the sitting, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Musa Kallam, said the rejected clauses were not adequately defined and that several lawmakers did not fully understand their implications.
He explained that the majority of members had therefore decided against approving the two provisions.
Kallam nevertheless expressed support for state policing, describing the proposal as a positive step towards combating criminal activities.
He also addressed concerns that state governors could use state police to target political opponents, arguing that the proposed constitutional framework provided limits on governors’ control over the services.
He added that the National Assembly could still consider further constitutional amendments if additional safeguards were needed.
The Adamawa Assembly directed its Clerk to prepare a clean copy of the 24 approved clauses and transmit them to the National Assembly.
Kebbi Assembly begins consideration
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State House of Assembly has received the proposed constitutional amendment and referred it to its House Committee on Internal Security for further deliberation.
The Majority Leader, Faruku Aliyu Nassarawa Jega, disclosed the development during Tuesday’s plenary while reading a letter from the Clerk to the National Assembly.
The letter urged the assembly to consider the bill expeditiously and communicate its decision to the National Assembly.
The proposed framework is particularly significant for Kebbi, where communities have faced security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities.
Supporters of state policing argue that locally based officers would be better positioned to gather intelligence, understand community-specific security concerns and respond more quickly to emerging threats.
However, the proposal has also raised concerns about political interference, abuse of power and the need to ensure that state police services remain professional, accountable and respectful of human rights.
The Kebbi Assembly is expected to deliberate on the proposal before communicating its position to the National Assembly.
Senate awaits formal transmission of executive bills
Despite the progress recorded by the working group and state assemblies, the executive’s proposed timeline remains subject to further legislative and administrative processes.
The Senate has declined to comment on the executive’s timetable, saying it would wait until it formally receives the bills before taking a position.
Senator Yemi Adaramodu, chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, said the Senate could not comment on the executive’s plans before receiving official correspondence.
He nevertheless described the proposed legislation as a matter of public interest that lawmakers were determined to conclude expeditiously.
Adaramodu also dismissed concerns over the expiration of the 30-day deadline given to state assemblies to submit their positions.
He explained that the deadline was intended to guide state legislatures in communicating their decisions and that their responses would be considered alongside the executive’s proposals.
The Senate spokesman expressed confidence that all states would submit their responses before the executive formally transmitted the bills, adding that the process would not undermine the Senate’s commitment to passing the legislation before the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice has not committed to a fixed period for completing its review beyond the working group’s stated expectation that the validated drafts would be returned by October 30.
Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Assistant on Media to the Attorney-General of the Federation, said the review must follow due process and that no specific statutory period had been identified for completing it.
State policing debate centres on security and accountability
The proposed establishment of state police has remained a major issue in Nigeria’s security debate, with supporters arguing that decentralizing policing could improve responses to local threats and strengthen community-based security.
Advocates believe state police services could improve intelligence gathering, shorten response times and enable security agencies to develop a better understanding of the communities they serve.
The proposal is also being considered against the backdrop of continuing security challenges in several parts of the country, including kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities.
However, concerns remain over the possibility of political interference, particularly if state governors exercise excessive influence over police operations.
The effectiveness of the proposed framework will therefore depend not only on its establishment but also on the safeguards put in place to ensure accountability, professionalism, respect for human rights and effective coordination between federal and state police services.
With the draft National Policing Bill now before the Ministry of Justice for review and more state assemblies considering the constitutional amendment, the next stages will be crucial in determining whether Nigeria moves closer to establishing a decentralized policing system.
The immediate steps include the completion of the legal review, final consideration by the Presidential Working Group, formal presentation to the President and the subsequent legislative and constitutional processes required to bring the proposed framework into effect.
