The proposed constitutional change aiming to introduce a dual policing structure across Nigeria has gained the backing of 24 State Houses of Assembly, successfully achieving the two-thirds majority needed to move the initiative forward.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill disclosed this in a statement issued by the Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the group, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Friday, October 23.
“The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill notes 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,” the statement reads in part.
The working group commended the state assemblies for supporting the proposed reform and acknowledged the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.
The states that have approved the proposed constitutional amendment are:
2. Delta 3. Edo 4. Kwara 5. Nasarawa 6. Ogun 7. Osun 8. Oyo 9. Plateau 10. Rivers 11. Taraba 12. Zamfara 13. Enugu 14. Anambra 15. Imo 16. Ekiti 17. Kebbi 18. Akwa Ibom 19. Bayelsa 20. Benue 21. Cross River 22. Abia 23. Yobe 24. Kaduna
The latest development comes days after Gbajabiamila said the proposed National Policing Bill was 90 per cent ready for transmission to the National Assembly, with the Federal Government expecting to submit it within two weeks.
TVC News had earlier reported that Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, October 15, while briefing journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja, stated that the committee would hold at least one more meeting to resolve outstanding issues before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly.
“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 per cent ready,” he said.
What You Should Know
The approval by 24 State Houses of Assembly means Nigeria is now one step closer to creating state police forces alongside the federal police. This amendment has crossed the vital two-thirds threshold required for constitutional changes in the country.
- Positive Impact: This reform could significantly improve local security response times, allow states to better address peculiar security challenges, and foster closer community policing.
- Potential Concerns: Critics and experts often raise concerns about potential funding challenges for cash-strapped states and the risk of state governments misusing local police forces for political control.
