House Of Reps Passes Constitutional Amendment Bill To Establish State Police In Nigeria

Thursday June 11, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria, marking a significant step in the country’s decades-long debate over decentralising its security architecture.

The bill was passed during plenary session monitored by SaharaReporters via the National Assembly’s live broadcast on NASS TV.

The passage of the state police bill comes amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity across the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, attacks on rural communities and other violent crimes that have stretched the capacity of Nigeria’s centralised policing system.

Lawmakers also postponed consideration of several other constitutional amendment bills to a later legislative session.

The passage of the state police bill comes amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity across the country, including terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, attacks on rural communities and other violent crimes that have stretched the capacity of Nigeria’s centralised policing system.

The development follows Wednesday’s announcement by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu, who urged lawmakers to attend Thursday’s plenary for the crucial vote.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Kalu had described the proposed amendment as a major milestone in ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security framework.

The move also comes days after the Presidency disclosed that constitutional amendments required for the establishment of state police were nearing completion.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed that extensive consultations had been ongoing for months to address the constitutional and legal issues surrounding the creation of state police.