The National Assembly has received approval reports from 28 State Houses of Assembly for the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police, clearing the constitutionally required state-legislature threshold for the bill to advance to the next stage of the amendment process.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the 28 states had approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, which seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters.

According to Ogunlana, the number of approving states exceeds the constitutional requirement of 24, representing not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, as stipulated under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.

He said the bill was transmitted to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval, with a request that their decisions be communicated to the National Assembly within 30 days.

Although the deadline expired on October 15, the Clerk explained that his office would continue to receive approval reports from state legislatures until the bill was transmitted for assent.

“Following the receipt and verification of the reports, the Office confirms that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the bill,” the statement read in part.

Ogunlana added that the Office of the Clerk had undertaken administrative verification of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to authenticate the decisions communicated by the respective state legislatures.

He also clarified an aspect of the legislative procedure, noting that Section 9 of the Constitution does not expressly require a Third Reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary bills.

“In view of the approvals secured from the required number of State Houses of Assembly, the necessary administrative processes are being undertaken to facilitate the transmission of the bill to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for assent,” he added.

The development represents a significant step in the prolonged national debate over the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing structure, with proponents of State Police arguing that state governments require greater control over security arrangements to address crimes and emerging threats within their jurisdictions.

Nigeria currently operates a centralised police system under the Nigeria Police Force, with operational command and control vested in the Federal Government.

The demand for state police has gained momentum amid persistent security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other criminal activities across different parts of the country.

Supporters of the proposed arrangement have maintained that state-controlled police formations would improve intelligence gathering, enhance community-based policing and enable security agencies to respond more quickly to threats at the grassroots.

However, concerns have also been raised about the possibility of governors using state police formations to intimidate political opponents, undermine civil liberties or settle political scores.

The proposed constitutional amendment is expected to provide the legal framework for establishing State Police Services and define their relationship with the existing federal policing structure.

The National Assembly, in the statement, expressed appreciation to the state legislatures for their cooperation in the constitutional amendment process, describing the development as an important step towards strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and deepening its federal system.