State Police: Nasarawa Assembly joins 11 other states to approve bill

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has approved the constitution amendment bill seeking to establish state police, joining 11 other state legislatures that have endorsed the proposed reform.

The lawmakers unanimously approved all 26 clauses of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, during plenary in Lafia on Tuesday.

The bill, transmitted to state assemblies by the National Assembly for concurrence, seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for establishing state police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Danladi Jatau, directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the legislature’s resolution to the National Assembly.

Nasarawa’s approval brings to 12 the number of state assemblies that have endorsed the proposed amendment. The other states are Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Ogun, Delta, Kwara and Adamawa.

The proposal is part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing system amid persistent insecurity, including kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and farmer-herder conflicts.

The proposed amendment seeks to alter Sections 214, 215 and 216 of the Constitution and introduce a new Section 317A.

It also provides for consequential amendments to constitutional provisions governing police service commissions and the administration of policing at federal and state levels.

Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires the support of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, equivalent to 24 states.

With 12 assemblies having approved the proposal, another 12 must endorse it to meet the constitutional threshold.

Supporters of state police argue that decentralising policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-level security and enable law enforcement agencies to respond more effectively to local threats.

They also contend that state-based police services could help address the limitations of a centralised policing structure in a country facing diverse security challenges.

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However, critics have expressed concerns that governors could use state police to intimidate political opponents, journalists and other critics.

Questions have also been raised about funding, recruitment, operational independence, human rights protections and accountability.

At the federal level, the Presidential Working Group on State Police has submitted a draft National Policing Bill and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for validation.

Nasarawa’s approval adds to the growing legislative support for the proposed reform, but state police cannot be established until the constitutional amendment process and other necessary legislative procedures are completed.