24 State Houses Of Assembly Okay State Police Bill

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Presidency on Friday has expressed happiness as State Police Amendment Bill scales constitutional hurdle in 24 out of the 36 states of the federation.
Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, noted with satisfaction that the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system, has been approved by 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states.
Gbajabiamila, in a release,commended the State Houses of Assembly for their decisive action on this reform of national importance and appreciates the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.
According to him, in line with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, the amendment can now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to Mr President for assent.
Gbajabiamila further said: “The approval gives constitutional backing to the policing framework that the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026 is designed to implement.
“The Working Group’s efforts remain on track. The draft Bills are currently undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and are expected to be returned on or before Friday, 30th October 2026. Thereafter, the Group will give them final consideration before presenting them to Mr President.
“The Working Group urges all stakeholders to support a smooth transition to a dual policing system that makes Nigerians safer.”
The Presidency had on Tuesday disclosed that the draft of the 2026 National Policing Bill is ready.
Gbajabiamila, stated in a release that the group has completed the drafting stage of its assignment and has formally submitted the draft National Policing Bill (2026), together with 29 consequential amendment bills, to the Federal Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.
According to him, the submission took place on Monday, 19th October, 2026, to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, in line with the Working Group’s work plan while 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, he further said, is expected to return the validated draft bills to the Working Group on or before Friday, 30th October 2026 and the Working Group will then give the validated bills final consideration before presenting them to Mr President, thereby concluding its mandate.
Gbajabiamila further said: The proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure, comprising a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
“The Working Group remains committed to a rigorous and transparent process that will deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for consideration by the President and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.
“The work on preparing the National Policing Bill is proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the States Houses of Assembly, which must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly.”
The Presidency had last Thursday hinted that the National Policing Bill will be transmitted to the National Assembly within two weeks.
Gbajabiamila had told newsmen after the steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja that “The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready.
“The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so.”
He described the bill as ‘the most consequential Bill of the administration so far’ adding that it has undergone strenuous exercises in the last few weeks since the working group’s steering committee began deliberations on August 3, 2026.
Also commenting on the possibility of the states dragging their feet on the passage of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill (State Police), especially against the backdrop of the information that only about six states had passed the amendment out of the 36 states and the FCT, Gbajabiamila affirmed that there was a “national consensus” among Nigerians on the need for the amendments.
“I see no reason why anyone will want to have a rethink on it,” he said.
Members of the committee present at the Thursday’s meeting held at the conference hall of the Chief of Staff Office at the State House, Abuja, were Chairman of the Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRazak AbdulRahman; Governors Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State; Uba Sani, Kaduna State; Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice represented by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Others included Chairman, Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Head, Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research who also doubles as the Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu; representative of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association; and AIG Abraham Nabhon Thomas, representing the National Security Adviser, among others.
President Bola Tinubu had on July 7, 2026, inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to prepare the legal framework for the implementation of state police across the country.
The Working Group’s inauguration followed the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, in which the President proposes a dual policing structure comprising the Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
Tinubu had pisited that while the constitutional amendment creates the framework for state police, the National Policing Bill would provide the legal structure for its implementation.“The Constitution Amendment Bill establishes the framework for dual policing, but it does not operationalise it. That work is left to the National Policing Bill.”
According to him, the proposed legislation would address issues necessary for a smooth operationalisation of the State Police system.
“The proposed National Policing Bill will include provisions on minimum policing standards, state readiness certification, federal-state coordination, accountability, human rights safeguards and fiscal conditions.”
The President said the committee will produce an implementation-ready draft bill immediately after the constitutional amendment process.
“The Working Group has been constituted to produce a technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill for transmission to the National Assembly,” Tinubu said.
He said the committee was necessary to avoid delays after the State Police bill passed.
“We must not wait until the constitutional process is concluded before beginning this important assignment,” he said.