Only Four States Approve State Police Amendment Bill

The proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria has encountered significant challenges, as only four out of the 36 state Houses of Assembly—Edo, Osun, Oyo, and Rivers—have approved the bill nearly three weeks after its transmission. The National Assembly sent the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the state legislatures on September 16, requiring them to communicate their resolutions within 30 days.

However, this timeline is administrative rather than constitutional, and the amendment needs the approval of at least two-thirds of the state legislatures, which translates to a minimum of 24 approvals. Currently, 20 additional state legislatures must concur for the amendment to meet the constitutional threshold.

Legislative actions vary across states, with some assemblies studying the proposal, while others await its transmission. Osun passed the bill on September 22, while Oyo approved it after a thorough review.

Ondo and Ekiti are still in the process of consideration.