Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has reportedly announced that 24 State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria, meeting the constitutional threshold required for the amendment to advance.
The development would mark a significant step towards decentralising Nigeria’s policing system, which currently operates predominantly under federal control.
Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a proposed constitutional alteration must receive approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly equivalent to 24 states before it can proceed to presidential assent.
The state police proposal seeks to amend the Constitution to provide for a dual policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The proposed reform is intended to bring policing closer to local communities, strengthen intelligence gathering and improve responses to security threats, including kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
The amendment has already passed through the Senate and House of Representatives before being transmitted to the state legislatures for consideration.
If the reported 24-state approval is formally confirmed and communicated to the National Assembly, the constitutional amendment process can move to its next stage. The amendment would still need to complete the applicable constitutional procedures before it becomes law.
The proposal has attracted considerable attention amid persistent security challenges across the country. Supporters argue that state police could improve local crime prevention and response times, while critics have raised concerns about potential political interference and the need for strong accountability mechanisms.
Further details are expected to clarify the states whose approvals have been formally received and the timeline for transmitting the amendment to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
The establishment of state police would represent a major change to Nigeria’s security architecture, but its eventual implementation will depend on the completion of the constitutional process and the development of the legal framework governing the proposed services.
