The proposed establishment of State Police in Nigeria has crossed a major constitutional milestone, with 24 State Houses of Assembly approving the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026. With this development, the constitutionally prescribed two-thirds of 36 States threshold required for the amendment to proceed has been met. It would be recalled that Osun State became the first House to approve the bill about a month ago in September 2026.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced the development today Friday 23rd October, describing it as a significant step towards establishing a dual policing system in the country.
In a statement, the Working Group commended the state legislatures for their decisive support for the reform, while acknowledging the National Assembly for passing the constitutional amendment in both chambers. With the required number of state assemblies having approved the bill, the amendment can now return to the National Assembly for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent, in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The development provides the constitutional foundation for the proposed dual policing framework, which the Working Group’s draft National Policing Bill, 2026, is intended to establish and operationalise.
According to Gbajabiamila, the draft bills are currently undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and are expected to be returned to the Working Group on or before October 30, 2026. The group will subsequently conduct its final consideration of the bills before presenting them to the President.
The Working Group urged stakeholders across the country to support a smooth transition to the proposed policing structure, which is intended to strengthen security and improve the protection of lives and property.
The constitutional milestone marks a significant advance in Nigeria’s long-running debate over Police decentralisation and the search for a policing model which is well equipped to address the country’s diverse security challenges.