State police: Five more Assemblies pass bill, FG panel submits draft

The Presidential Working Group has completed its drafting assignment. It submitted the proposed National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice on October 19, 2026. The ministry must review them for proper legislative drafting and consistency with existing laws.

Five more state assemblies have approved the related constitutional amendment: Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa. Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara had already endorsed it. The amendment is needed to create Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

The constitutional proposal was sent to all 36 assemblies on September 16. At least 24 must approve it before it can return to the National Assembly. The Justice Ministry is expected to return validated drafts by October 30, after which the Working Group will make a final review and present them to the President.

The dual policing structure would divide policing between a Federal Police Service and State Police Services. It is designed to create a constitutional and legislative framework for policing at both federal and state levels. The proposal is presented as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges.

The Federal Police Service would represent the national policing level, while State Police Services would operate under the state-level structure. The article does not specify their precise jurisdictions, command arrangements, recruitment rules or accountability systems. Those details are expected to be addressed through the proposed legislation.

The key mechanism is an amendment to Section 214 of the Constitution. That section currently provides for a single Nigeria Police Force. The Sixth Alteration Bill would replace it with the two-service model. The draft bills are now undergoing Justice Ministry review before reaching the President and, later, the National Assembly.

The constitutional amendment needs approval from at least 24 state assemblies. Nigeria has 36 state assemblies, so the required threshold is two-thirds of them. This state-level approval is a necessary stage before the amendment can be transmitted back to the National Assembly.

The amendment was sent to all 36 assemblies on September 16, 2026. The article reports that Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara had already endorsed it, while Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara and Adamawa later approved it. These approvals contribute to the required total.

The 30-day deadline for state assemblies to submit their inputs had expired, but the Senate said it would still consider their responses. The Senate also declined to comment on the Executive’s proposed timetable until it formally receives the bills. The amendment process therefore remains incomplete.

Changing Section 214 is necessary because the Constitution currently provides for a single Nigeria Police Force. A separate state police service would conflict with that constitutional arrangement unless the section is amended. The Sixth Alteration Bill supplies the constitutional basis for the proposed change.

Its mechanism is straightforward: the amendment would replace the single Nigeria Police Force with a Federal Police Service and State Police Services. The proposed National Policing Bill would then provide the broader legislative framework for operating that dual structure. Together, the constitutional and ordinary bills are intended to support the new arrangement.

The change is linked to efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges. However, the article does not describe the proposed services’ detailed powers, chains of command or accountability rules. State approval is still required, and at least 24 assemblies must support the amendment before it returns to the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Justice will review the National Policing Bill and 29 consequential amendment bills. Its task is to check their legislative drafting standards, conventions and compatibility with existing laws. The ministry received the drafts on October 19, 2026.

The ministry is expected to return validated drafts to the Working Group on or before October 30. The Working Group will then give the documents final consideration. After that, it will present them to the President, concluding its assigned mandate.

The wider process also depends on the constitutional amendment. State assemblies must complete their consideration before the bill can be transmitted to the National Assembly. The Senate said it would wait for formal correspondence before commenting or taking a position. The Justice Ministry’s representative also stressed that due process, rather than an assumed deadline, must guide the review.

State police could change security by placing part of policing closer to state governments and local communities. In principle, that may allow responses to reflect local security conditions more directly. It would also create a second policing level alongside the proposed Federal Police Service.

The key mechanism would be the constitutional and legislative division of policing responsibilities. Section 214 would authorize the two-service structure, while the National Policing Bill and amendment bills would provide operating rules. The article does not state how officers would be recruited, commanded, funded or held accountable, so those effects cannot yet be determined.

The proposal is still under review, not an operating system. The Justice Ministry must validate the drafts, and the Working Group must consider them before presenting them to the President. State approvals and later National Assembly action remain necessary. The article identifies security challenges as the reason for the reform but gives no final implementation timetable.

Federalism generally means that governmental authority is shared between a national government and subnational governments. The proposed policing model reflects that idea by recognizing both a Federal Police Service and State Police Services. It would move away from a single nationwide police structure.

The constitutional mechanism is the proposed amendment to Section 214. It would replace the Nigeria Police Force with the two-service arrangement. The National Policing Bill would add the legislative framework needed to make that division workable. The article does not provide detailed rules for jurisdiction, command or accountability.

The reform is being pursued as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges. It has not yet taken effect. State assemblies must complete consideration, with at least 24 approvals required before the amendment returns to the National Assembly. The Justice Ministry is also reviewing the related bills before the Working Group presents them to the President.