By Clifford Ndujihe, Dayo Johnson, Steve Oko, Ebunoluwa Sessou, Boluwaji Obahopo, Jeff Agbodo & Ben
Ngwakwe
THE push for state police to tighten the war against insecurity in the country got a boost, yesterday, as a flurry of approvals that started on Wednesday by no fewer than 13 states brought the number of states endorsing the legislation to 24.
Thus, the constitutionally required 24-state endorsement benchmark needed for the state police bill to become law has been met. Vanguard gathered that more states will conclude deliberations next week.
Currently, 14 of the 17 southern states have endorsed the bill and 10 of the 19 northern states have okayed the move.
Lagos, Ondo, and Ebonyi are the southern states still being awaited.
The nine northern states still dilly-dallying on the legislation are Kogi, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, and Sokoto. Five of the 10 states are in the North-West zone. The North-Central has two and North-East three states.
The National Assembly transmitted the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, seeking their concurrence.
The National Assembly had asked the state legislatures to communicate their resolutions within 30 days. However, the period is an administrative target and not a constitutional deadline. It is exactly 38 days since most houses of assembly got the bill. The state legislatures are expected to turn in their inputs on October 29, which is exactly six days away.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, alteration of the Constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, 24 legislatures, before the amendment can proceed to the next stage.
Kaduna Assembly endorses constitutional state police
Kaduna State House of Assembly, yesterday, joined approving states by unanimously endorsing proposed amendments to 15 sections of the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the establishment of state police.
The Chairman House Committee on Information , Mr Henry Marah, disclosed this while briefing journalists on the House proceedings in Kaduna.
Marah, who represents Jaba State Constituency, said the Assembly supported the proposal transmitted by the National Assembly for concurrence.
He said the proposed state police system would strengthen community security, improve protection of lives and property, and create employment opportunities for youths.
According to him, the current security structure limits state governments’ ability to directly hold police authorities accountable for security failures.
He said the proposed system would provide a legal framework for community-based security initiatives and strengthen local responses to banditry and other crimes.
Marah said the Assembly would formulate appropriate laws to guide the operations and welfare of state police personnel when the proposal takes effect.
He assured that funding would be prioritised, even if the state had to reduce spending on other projects.
“Without security, you cannot even go to the farm or go to work,” he said, stressing that protecting human lives should take precedence over infrastructure development.
The lawmaker urged residents to support the proposed state police system, saying improved security would enable farmers to return to their farms and harvest their produce without fear of kidnapping.
Abia assembly concurs
Similarly, the Deputy Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Austin Nmeregini, told Vanguard, earlier yesterday, that the Abia lawmakers were at the verge of passing the Bill.
He disclosed that the Bill received the support of the lawmakers during their Executive session, hinting that they were proceeding into plenary where it would be passed into law.
However, Speaker Austin Nmeregini, told Vanguard later in the day that the bill was passed by unanimous vote
Bill yet to be received — Gombe lawmaker
In Gombe, the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Aliyu Baba Manu, said the bill has not been officially presented on the floor of the House.
According to Manu, the bill has neither been formally tabled nor received by the House for consideration. He added that upon receipt, the bill would be referred to the appropriate committee responsible for police matters for further legislative action.
Speaking in a like manner, Deputy Speaker of Gombe House of Assembly said he is unaware of the bill.
Ebonyi to pass bill soon — Speaker
The Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Moses Ije Odunwa, has said the Assembly will soon pass the State Police Bill.
Odunwa disclosed that lawmakers had commenced deliberations on the bill and were close to completing the process, subject to necessary scrutiny.
He said the proposed legislation was aimed at strengthening the protection of lives and property in Ebonyi State and Nigeria at large.
The Speaker recalled that Ebonyi State had supported the establishment of state police during the National Assembly’s constitutional review engagement, where the state government and Assembly made submissions in favour of decentralised policing.
“We have started deliberating on the bill, and we are very close to its passage,” Odunwa said.
Action on bill delayed in Ondo
In Ondo State, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Olatunji Oshati, said the draft has been forwarded to all 26 members of the Assembly to study and return with their resolutions for debate at plenary.
“Yes, we have received the draft from the National Assembly. We have read it on the floor of the House and subsequently distributed it to the 26 members of the Assembly to study. The lawmakers are expected to study the document and return with their inputs for full deliberation at the next plenary.
“The State House of Assembly, after thorough discussion under matters of urgent public importance, will add our inputs before returning it to the National Assembly.
“I want to assure that all these will be done within a short period. We won’t delay; we will soon send the State Assembly’s inputs to the National Assembly,” he said.
He however assured that the bill will be passed after the plenary sitting on Monday by the members.
According to him, “the plenary on Monday will decide when the bill will be passed into law.”
Kogi assembly yet to sit
In Kogi State, the House of Assembly is yet to sit on the State police amendment bill.
However, the Assembly admitted some weeks ago that it had received the transmitted copy, but a day was yet to be slated for its debate.
The Members had adjourned to attend an international conference in Rwanda, “maybe by the next adjourned date, answers to your questions will be provided”, Mr. Aka Bayo, Deputy clerk, Administration stated.
Why Lagos Assembly is yet to ratify the Bill — Lawmaker
The Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Information and Strategy, Mr. Stephen Ogundipe, said the House will reconvene next week to ratify the bill.
Ogundipe disclosed that the Assembly is currently in recess but assured that lawmakers would resume plenary next week to consider the bill and take the necessary legislative action.
He explained that the planned ratification would form part of the Assembly’s legislative responsibilities upon resumption, although he did not provide further details on the specific provisions of the bill.
“The ratification process will be a key stage in determining the bill’s legislative status, subject to the applicable procedures of the House. The Assembly is expected to provide further information as deliberations resume and lawmakers proceed with their legislative business next week”, he said.
Presidential group moves ahead
Meanwhile, the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, on Tuesday, submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
The proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend Section 214 of the Constitution to replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
In a statement by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group said it had completed the drafting stage of its assignment.
The PWG explained that the draft bill was submitted to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, last Monday.
“The submission was made on October 19, 2026, to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the Working Group’s work plan.
“The ministry’s review will ensure that the bills conform to legislative drafting standards and conventions, and that they do not conflict with existing laws.
“The Ministry of Justice is expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. The Working Group will then give the validated bills final consideration before presenting them to Mr President, thereby concluding its mandate,” it said.
Gbajabiamila said the work was proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the State Houses of Assembly, which “must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly”.
On October 15, Gbajabiamila told reporters that the policing bill was “90 per cent ready” and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.
The Senate passed the bill on June 24, after which it was also passed by the House of Representatives. Tinubu inaugurated the seven-member Presidential Working Group on July 7, and its steering committee started work on August 3 to produce a “technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill.’’
24 states that have approved bill
1. Adamawa State
2. Delta State
3. Edo State
4. Kwara State
5. Nasarawa State
6. Ogun State
7. Osun State
8. Oyo State
9. Plateau State
10. Rivers State
11. Taraba State
12. Zamfara State
13. Enugu
14. Anambra
15. Imo
16. Ekiti
17. Kebbi
18. Akwa Ibom
19. Bayelsa
20. Benue
21. Cross River
22. Abia
23. Yobe
24. Kaduna
States being awaited
1. Lagos
2. Ondo
3. Ebonyi
4. Kogi
5. Niger
6. Borno
7. Gombe
8. Bauchi
9. Jigawa
10. Katsina
11. Kano
12. Sokoto
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