By Gabriel Ameh
The House of Representatives has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria, marking a major step in ongoing efforts to decentralise the country’s security architecture.
The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police; and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was approved during plenary on Thursday at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The vote was conducted manually, with lawmakers indicating their position by raising their hands. Out of 292 members present, 288 supported the bill, while four voted against it.
The Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu, led the presentation and urged lawmakers to back the proposal, which seeks to fundamentally reshape policing in Nigeria by creating both Federal and State Police structures.
Under the amendment, Section 214 of the Constitution would be altered to formally establish a dual policing system. The National Assembly would be responsible for defining the structure, organisation, administration, and powers of the Federal Police, while also setting minimum standards for state police formations.
The bill stipulates that no state police force can begin operations unless it is created through a law passed by a State House of Assembly and certified to meet national standards as prescribed by the National Assembly.
It further provides that the Federal Police will continue to operate in any state until a state police system becomes functional.
The proposed framework also limits federal intervention in state security matters, allowing the Federal Police to step in only in cases of complete breakdown of law and order, at the request of a state governor, or where a state police force becomes incapacitated due to administrative or financial challenges.
On leadership structure, the bill amends Section 215 to allow the Inspector-General of Police to be appointed by the President based on recommendations from the National Police Council, subject to Senate confirmation.
Similarly, a State Commissioner of Police would be appointed by a governor upon advice from the National Police Council and confirmed by the State House of Assembly.
Governors would also be empowered to issue lawful directives to state police commissioners on public safety matters, although disputes over legality could be referred to the National Police Council, whose decision would be final.
The bill also proposes amendments to Section 84, replacing references to the National Police Council and Police Service Commission with updated terminology under a restructured policing framework.
However, the amendment is not yet final. It must still be approved by the Senate and endorsed by at least two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly before receiving presidential assent to become law.
