Four States Approve State Police Bill Amid Challenges

The proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria is encountering significant challenges, with only four state Houses of Assembly—Edo, Osun, Oyo, and Rivers—approving the constitutional amendment needed for the reform. This development follows the National Assembly's transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration.

The National Assembly has set a 30-day timeframe for state assemblies to communicate their decisions, although this is not a mandatory deadline. A constitutional requirement mandates that at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly must approve the proposed alteration, leaving 20 more approvals needed.

The National Assembly prioritized this bill due to widespread concerns over insecurity and the necessity for a constitutional framework for decentralized policing. While Osun and Oyo have approved the bill, other states like Ondo and Ekiti are still in the consideration phase, and Lagos State's position remains unclear.