Nigeria has crossed a historic legislative milestone in its quest to decentralize national security, with 24 State Houses of Assembly officially endorsing the constitutional bill to establish state police forces.
The concurrence of Kaduna and Abia State Assemblies on Thursday pushed the endorsement count to the exact two-thirds benchmark (24 out of 36 states) mandated by Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for any constitutional alteration to pass into law.
The legislation—officially titled the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026—was transmitted by the National Assembly to state legislatures on September 16, seeking to repeal the centralized structure under Section 214 and replace it with a Federal Police Service alongside independent State Police Services.
Regional Alignment: Where States Stand
The momentum spans both northern and southern regions, though key states in the North-West and North-Central are still conducting committee reviews:
Southern States (14 Endorsed): Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo.
Northern States (10 Endorsed): Adamawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara.
12 States Awaited: Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Sokoto.
Several pending assemblies—including Lagos, Ondo, and Ebonyi—have confirmed plans to reconvene next week to formally ratify the bill.
”Security Precedes Infrastructure” — Lawmakers Back Reform
Announcing Kaduna’s unanimous endorsement of amendments across 15 constitutional sections, House Information Committee Chairman Henry Marah emphasized that centralized control has hampered local responses to banditry and kidnapping.
”Without security, you cannot even go to the farm or go to work,” Marah stated. “Protecting human lives should take precedence over infrastructure development. The current structure limits state governments’ ability to directly hold police authorities accountable.”
In Abia, Deputy Speaker Austin Nmeregini confirmed that lawmakers unanimously passed the bill during Thursday’s plenary following an executive session.
Presidency Submits National Policing Framework
To ensure immediate operational readiness once the constitutional amendment is ratified, the Presidential Working Group (PWG) led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila has submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026 and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry of Justice will complete legal validation by October 30, 2026, before presenting the final executive drafting to President Bola Tinubu for implementation.
