The National Assembly leadership has confirmed receipt of the constitutional amendment bill authorising state police. The bill came through formal transmission from state legislatures. The leadership has commenced final drafting steps toward presidential assent. The process is in its last legislative phase.
The 1999 Constitution places policing under exclusive federal control. In 2023, a constitutional amendment failed in the National Assembly. In 2026, Osun became the first state to approve the bill. Delta followed. Twenty-nine state assemblies have now approved the amendment. That exceeds the two-thirds threshold of 24 states under Section 9 of the Constitution. The bill was transmitted to all 36 state assemblies on 16 September 2026.
The bill now awaits President Bola Tinubu’s signature. If signed, states can establish and fund their own police services. The Nigeria Police Force remains the federal service. Supporters say local policing will improve intelligence and response times. Critics warn that governors will weaponise state forces against opponents. The amendment contains no detailed safeguards. Those will be written into state laws. The final drafting is procedural. The substantive decisions lie ahead.
Winners: State governors, who gain policing powers. Communities, if local forces improve security. State assemblies, which asserted their constitutional role. The National Assembly, which advances reform. Losers: The federal police, which loses its monopoly. Civil society, which fears abuse. Opposition parties in states controlled by rival governors. Taxpayers, if state police duplicate costs.
Bottom Line: The bill is with the president. He must sign it. The safeguards are not written. State police can protect or oppress. The difference is oversight.