Five more state Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, bringing the number of approving states to 10. The development comes as the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill submitted its draft legislation and 29 related amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review.
The approving states are Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa, joining Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara, which had earlier endorsed the proposal. The amendment seeks to replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services to strengthen security across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the working group chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the draft National Policing Bill 2026 was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on October 19. The ministry is expected to complete its review and return the validated bills by October 30 before the working group presents them to President Bola Tinubu.
Gbajabiamila said the proposed legislation would establish the legal framework for a dual policing system. The constitutional amendment, transmitted to the 36 state assemblies on September 16, must receive approval from at least 24 assemblies before it can proceed through the remaining constitutional process.
In Adamawa, lawmakers approved 24 of the bill’s 26 clauses, rejecting two they considered insufficiently clear. Meanwhile, the Ogun, Delta, Kwara and Plateau assemblies endorsed the proposal, citing potential improvements in local intelligence gathering, security responses and community protection.
The Kebbi State House of Assembly has also received the proposed amendment and referred it to its House Committee on Internal Security for consideration. The National Assembly has urged state lawmakers to communicate their decisions promptly, while Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu said the Senate would await formal correspondence from the Executive before commenting on its proposed timeline.
Supporters of state police argue that decentralising law enforcement would bring policing closer to communities and improve responses to local security threats. However, concerns remain over possible political interference, abuse of power and the need for safeguards to ensure accountability, professionalism and respect for human rights.
