The debate over the establishment of state-controlled police services in Nigeria has moved another step forward following the endorsement of the proposal by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Rivers lawmakers backed the State Police constitutional amendment after the National Assembly forwarded the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to state legislatures for consideration.
The bill seeks to change Nigeria’s current policing arrangement by creating State Police Services alongside the Federal Police Service.
The proposed structure would therefore operate on two levels: a federal police service and police services established by individual states under the constitutional framework.
The transmission of the bill to the states represents an important stage in the constitutional amendment process. The National Assembly said the State Police Bill was prioritised because of public demands and concerns surrounding policing and security in the country.
However, support from Rivers alone cannot conclude the process.
Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution requires a constitutional alteration bill to receive approval from at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly. With 36 state assemblies, the proposal therefore needs the support of at least 24 legislatures at the state level.
The position taken by Rivers adds to the growing number of state assemblies engaging with the proposal. Ogun and Nasarawa have also been reported among states considering or supporting the move.
The National Assembly has explained that other constitutional alteration bills are yet to be transmitted to the states, noting that the State Police Bill is the specific amendment that has so far completed passage in both chambers and been forwarded to the state legislatures.
As more state assemblies consider the proposal, their individual resolutions will determine whether the constitutional amendment secures the required state-level approval.
The proposed reform has been presented as a framework for states that choose to establish their own police services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force at the federal level.
