By Simpson Global Media News Desk
Report Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
Announcement Date: Thursday, 29 October 2026
Announcement Venue: National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru
Location: Kuru, Plateau State, Nigeria
Speaker: Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele
Legislative Target: December 2026
Thirty states endorse proposed state police framework
Nigeria's proposed state police system has moved closer to constitutional approval after at least 30 State Houses of Assembly endorsed the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, 2026.
Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, announced the development on Thursday, 29 October 2026, while delivering a lecture to participants of Senior Executive Course 48 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State.
Bamidele said the National Assembly had received formal reports from the state legislatures and that the number of approving states had exceeded the constitutional threshold required for an alteration of the 1999 Constitution.
Under Section 9(2) of the Constitution, an alteration requires approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly. This means a minimum of 24 states.
With at least 30 reported approvals, the proposal has cleared this state-level requirement, according to the Senate Leader.
However, the development does not mean that state police have already been established. The National Assembly must still complete the remaining constitutional procedures before the amendment can take effect.
Bamidele said lawmakers intended to complete those stages and transmit the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent on or before December 2026.
What happens next in the National Assembly?
The next stage involves the National Assembly considering and collating the resolutions submitted by the State Houses of Assembly.
Bamidele explained that the Senate and House of Representatives would consider the reports and pass the required resolutions by a simple majority in each chamber.
Once that process is completed, the constitutional alteration bill will be transmitted to the President for assent.
The Senate Leader described the remaining stages as procedural but constitutionally important.
The proposed reform has been discussed for more than 15 years, with previous attempts to decentralise policing failing to achieve the required political and constitutional agreement.
The latest endorsements represent a significant development in that long-running debate.
However, the final legislative text and implementation arrangements will remain important areas of scrutiny before the reform becomes operational.
Why Nigeria is considering state police
Nigeria currently operates a centrally organised police system through the Nigeria Police Force.
The Inspector-General of Police heads the national institution, with commands and formations operating across the country's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Supporters of state police argue that a single centrally administered structure faces difficulties responding to the country's varied security conditions.
Nigeria's security challenges include terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence, organised crime and attacks on rural communities.
Proponents of decentralised policing believe state-level institutions could improve local intelligence gathering, response times and engagement with communities.
They argue that officers familiar with local languages, terrain and social conditions may be better positioned to identify emerging threats and work with residents.
The proposed reform is therefore intended to bring some policing responsibilities closer to the communities being served.
Bamidele said the objective was to make the security system more responsive to local realities without weakening the Federal Government.
Proposed structure of state police
According to the details reported by Premium Times, the proposal provides for the Inspector-General of Police to continue heading the federal police institution.
Each state police service would be headed by a commissioner appointed by the state governor and confirmed by the relevant State House of Assembly.
This arrangement would create a state-level policing structure alongside the existing federal police framework.
The proposed commissioner appointment process is particularly important because it introduces a role for both the executive and legislature at state level.
The final constitutional provisions and accompanying laws will need to establish how state police services will operate, how their leadership will be held accountable and how conflicts involving federal and state authorities will be resolved.
A workable system will also require clear rules on jurisdiction, investigations, intelligence sharing, training, recruitment, operational standards and public complaints.
Existing security outfits will not automatically become state police
One important distinction in the proposed framework concerns existing state and regional security organisations.
According to Premium Times, the proposed amendment does not allow existing local security outfits to be automatically converted into state police services or exercise police powers under the new framework.
The restrictions also include provisions against such outfits bearing firearms.
Organisations mentioned in the discussion include Amotekun in the South-West, Ebube Agu in the South-East and Hisbah structures operating in parts of northern Nigeria.
This distinction matters because the proposed reform is intended to establish a constitutionally recognised state police system rather than simply grant new legal powers to every existing community security organisation.
The relationship between state police services and existing security outfits will therefore require careful legislative and operational clarification.
Supporters say local policing could improve intelligence
Supporters of the reform argue that centralised policing can create difficulties when officers are unfamiliar with local communities.
They believe a state-level structure could improve communication between residents and law enforcement agencies.
Local intelligence is particularly important in addressing crimes that depend on information from communities, including kidnapping, rural banditry and organised criminal activity.
A police service with better knowledge of local routes, settlements and community relationships could potentially respond more effectively to emerging threats.
State authorities could also tailor recruitment, deployment and community engagement to local security conditions.
However, these potential advantages will depend on professional standards, adequate resources, reliable intelligence systems and effective coordination with federal agencies.
Decentralisation alone cannot guarantee better security outcomes.
Concerns over political interference and human rights
The proposal has also generated concerns about the possibility of state police being abused by political office holders.
Critics have warned that governors or powerful political figures could attempt to use state-controlled police institutions against political opponents, protesters, journalists or other critics.
Such concerns are significant in a country where political competition and disputes over government authority can be intense.
A state police service must therefore operate under enforceable safeguards that protect the rights of citizens regardless of their political affiliation.
Bamidele said the proposed framework would include constitutional safeguards, operational standards, oversight mechanisms and human rights protections.
The practical effectiveness of those safeguards will depend on their precise wording and implementation.
Independent complaints procedures, transparent disciplinary systems, judicial oversight and protections against unlawful detention and excessive force will be important considerations.
The final legislation will also need to clarify how state police officers can be held accountable when allegations involve senior state officials.
Funding and professional capacity will determine success
Establishing state police services will require substantial financial and institutional preparation.
State governments will need to consider recruitment, training, salaries, equipment, communications systems, vehicles, operational facilities and investigative capacity.
Some states may have stronger revenue bases and greater institutional resources than others.
This could create differences in the ability of states to establish and sustain professional police services.
A system that provides well-equipped officers in wealthier states but poorly resourced institutions elsewhere could produce uneven security outcomes.
Funding arrangements will therefore be central to the reform.
States will need to demonstrate that their policing budgets can support long-term operations without undermining other essential public services.
The new system will also require professional training in criminal investigation, human rights, intelligence gathering, public order management and community policing.
What the reform could mean for federal policing
The proposed arrangement would not necessarily remove the Federal Government's responsibility for national security.
The Nigeria Police Force would continue to operate at the federal level, while state police services would undertake responsibilities established under the constitutional framework.
This would require coordination between federal and state institutions.
National security threats frequently cross state boundaries, meaning state police services would need to share intelligence and cooperate with federal agencies.
Clear procedures would be necessary for investigations involving multiple states, organised criminal networks and threats to national infrastructure.
The reform must also avoid confusion over command responsibilities during emergencies.
The final legislation and supporting regulations will therefore play a major role in determining whether decentralisation strengthens security coordination or creates new institutional disputes.
More than 15 years of debate
The proposed establishment of state police has remained part of Nigeria's constitutional reform debate for more than 15 years.
Advocates have repeatedly argued that the country's security structure should reflect its federal system and the different conditions across its states.
Opponents have raised concerns about political abuse, uneven funding, the fragmentation of national security and the possibility of competing police institutions.
The latest process has involved the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly considering a constitutional alteration proposal.
The Senate and House of Representatives passed the proposal earlier in 2026 before it was transmitted to state legislatures for consideration.
The reported approval by at least 30 state assemblies now provides the required state-level support for the next stage.
The remaining steps will determine whether the proposal becomes part of the Constitution.
What happens before December?
Bamidele said the National Assembly intended to conclude the remaining procedures on or before December 2026.
The immediate tasks include collating the state assemblies' reports, considering their resolutions and securing the necessary votes in both chambers.
If the National Assembly completes those stages, the bill will be transmitted to President Tinubu for assent.
Until the required constitutional procedures are completed, the proposed state police system should not be described as operational.
The public will also need clarity on the subsequent implementation timetable, the establishment of state police institutions and the regulations governing their conduct.
The announcement did not provide a final nationwide recruitment date or a confirmed operational commencement date.
A major constitutional decision with significant consequences
The endorsement of the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill by at least 30 state assemblies marks an important moment in Nigeria's constitutional reform process.
It indicates that the proposal has secured support well beyond the minimum number of state legislatures required for this stage.
However, the central challenge will be to create a system that improves security while protecting citizens from political interference and abuse of authority.
Professional recruitment, independent oversight, transparent funding, human rights protections and effective coordination between federal and state police institutions will be essential.
For communities affected by kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other security threats, the most important measure of success will be whether the new structure produces safer neighbourhoods and more effective law enforcement.
The next few weeks will therefore be important as the National Assembly considers the state resolutions and moves towards the December target.
The constitutional threshold has been crossed, but the real test will be whether Nigeria can turn the proposed reform into a professional, accountable and effective policing system.
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