24 States Approve Bill for Establishing State Police

The proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution for the establishment of state police has been endorsed by 24 state Houses of Assembly, fulfilling the constitutional requirement of approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures as per Section 9(2) of the Constitution. This approval allows the bill to advance to the next phase, which involves transmission to the President for assent.

The 24 states that have endorsed the bill include Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Zamfara, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Abia, Yobe, and Kaduna. Twelve states, including Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Kogi, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, and Sokoto, have yet to vote on the bill.

The National Assembly transmitted the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the state Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, aiming to establish state police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). Advocates argue this reform will enhance intelligence gathering and improve responses to local security issues like kidnapping and banditry.