The House of Representatives has passed a constitutional amendment bill to establish state police across Nigeria, moving the country closer to decentralised policing.
The bill, 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, June 11, 2026.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas presided over the Committee of the Whole where the bill was considered. Voting was conducted manually.
Newsbuka reports that 289 members voted in support, 1 abstained, and none voted against it. 290 members participated in total.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, presented the report and canvassed support from lawmakers.
Kalu said the amendment seeks to transfer policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, empowering states to establish and control their own police formations.
Under the proposal, Section 214 of the Constitution will be amended to formally create both Federal Police and State Police.
The bill stipulates that no state police formation shall commence operations unless established by a law enacted by the relevant State House of Assembly and certified as complying with national minimum standards prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
The House also adopted 18 constitutional amendment clauses during Thursday’s session. 2769
The bill must now go to the Senate for concurrence. After NASS passage, it will be transmitted to at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly for ratification before President Bola Tinubu can assent to it.
Deputy Speaker Kalu said governors and the Presidency are in support of state police, and the move comes amid rising insecurity from banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
House Passes Constitution Amendment Bill In Support Of State Police
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