State police: 28 states approve constitutional amendment

The National Assembly has received approval reports from 28 state legislatures for the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police, meeting the constitutionally required threshold for the bill to advance. The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, confirmed this in a statement, indicating that the 28 states approved the proposed amendment, surpassing the constitutional requirement of 24 states, representing at least two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures.

The bill, which aims to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, was transmitted to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026, with a request for decisions to be communicated within 30 days. Despite the deadline passing on October 15, Ogunlana stated that his office would continue to receive approval reports until the bill was transmitted for assent by the President.

The development follows a prolonged national debate on the decentralization of Nigeria's policing structure, with advocates arguing that state police would enhance local security and response times. However, concerns remain over potential misuse by state governments.