NIGERIA: Reps Pass State Police Bill, 289 Lawmakers Vote in Favour

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the State Police Bill for third reading, paving the way for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system amid growing concerns over insecurity across the country.

A total of 289 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while one voted against it and one abstained, surpassing the constitutional requirement of a two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments.

The bill, titled the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish state police alongside the federal police structure. It will now proceed to the State Houses of Assembly for concurrence after a similar passage by the Senate.

Presenting the proposal, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu, noted that there was a national consensus on the need for state police.

 “The creation of state police will reduce the response time to issues of insecurity while getting the people who understand the terrain in the various states involved in policing their communities,” Kalu stated.

The legislation provides that no state police force can commence operations until it is established by a law of the State House of Assembly and certified as meeting national minimum standards prescribed by the National Assembly.

It also empowers governors to issue lawful directives to State Commissioners of Police on matters relating to public safety and order, while allowing commissioners to refer any directive they consider unlawful to the National Police Council for review.

The bill further establishes a National Police Council and State Police Service Commissions to oversee appointments, discipline, standards, and administration of both federal and state police formations.

If approved by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly and assented to, the amendment will introduce one of the most significant reforms to Nigeria’s security architecture since the return to democratic rule in 1999.