By Iroyin Yoruba Television
ABUJA, Nigeria — October 24, 2026
Nigeria's proposed state police system has moved closer to becoming a constitutional reality after the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced that 24 State Houses of Assembly had approved the constitutional amendment required to establish a dual policing structure.
The announcement, made on October 23 by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and chairman of the Presidential Working Group, means the proposal has met the two-thirds approval threshold required from Nigeria's 36 state legislatures.
The amendment, known as the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to provide constitutional backing for a system comprising federal and state police services.
However, meeting the state-assembly threshold does not mean state police are already operational. Further constitutional procedures, including presidential assent, remain necessary, while the accompanying National Policing Bill is still undergoing legislative drafting review.
CONSTITUTIONAL THRESHOLD REACHED
Under Section 9 of Nigeria's Constitution, a constitutional amendment of this kind requires approval by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly, equivalent to 24 of the 36 states.
The Presidential Working Group said the approvals had satisfied that requirement and that the amendment could now return to the National Assembly for onward transmission to the President for assent.
The National Assembly had previously passed the amendment through both chambers before it was sent to the state legislatures for concurrence.
The latest announcement marks a significant procedural step in a reform that has been debated for years amid concerns about the ability of a centralised police structure to respond effectively to security challenges across Nigeria's diverse regions.
HOW THE PROPOSED DUAL POLICING SYSTEM WOULD WORK
The proposed reform is designed to provide a constitutional framework for federal and state police services to operate alongside one another.
Under the proposed arrangement, state police would provide an additional layer of policing within individual states, while the federal service would retain national responsibilities. The detailed division of powers, command arrangements, recruitment standards and oversight mechanisms would depend on the final constitutional provisions and implementing legislation.
Supporters argue that state-level policing could improve local intelligence gathering, community engagement and response times by bringing law enforcement closer to residents and local authorities.
The proposal is particularly significant for communities facing kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other security threats where residents have called for more responsive policing.
However, the creation of state police also raises questions about funding, political independence, human rights safeguards and the possibility of governors using police powers against political opponents.
Those concerns make the details of the implementing legislation and the safeguards surrounding the proposed system central to its eventual effectiveness.
NATIONAL POLICING BILL STILL UNDER REVIEW
The Presidential Working Group said the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and related legislative proposals were undergoing drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The group expected the reviewed drafts to be returned by October 30, after which it would conduct a final review before presenting them to President Tinubu.
The proposed legislation is intended to provide the legal and operational framework for implementing the dual policing system.
The announced timetable is a target, not confirmation that the bill has been finalised, enacted or brought into force.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS REMAIN
Reaching the required number of state approvals is a milestone, but it does not resolve every issue involved in creating state police services.
The final framework will need to address how the federal and state services coordinate investigations, share intelligence, manage cross-border cases and prevent conflicting commands.
It will also need clear recruitment standards, funding arrangements, independent oversight and procedures for investigating allegations of abuse by officers.
Without effective safeguards, decentralising policing could create new risks even as it offers opportunities to improve local security.
The reform's success will therefore depend not only on the constitutional amendment but also on the quality of the implementing laws, the resources available to state services and the strength of accountability mechanisms.
For now, the 24-assembly approval threshold represents a major step forward. State police will become a practical reality only after the remaining constitutional and legislative requirements have been completed.