Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The Rivers State House of Assembly has endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services in Nigeria, adding the state legislature to the growing number of assemblies considering the reform.
The endorsement was made during plenary on Monday, September 28, 2026, following the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to state Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.
Rivers Assembly Supports State Police Proposal
The proposed amendment seeks to create a constitutional framework under which states can establish and operate their own police services alongside the existing federal policing structure.
The Rivers Assembly’s decision forms part of the state-level stage of the constitutional amendment process, after the National Assembly approved the State Police Bill and transmitted it to the 36 state legislatures.
Reports on the Rivers proceedings indicate that lawmakers backed the proposal during plenary, supporting the move to provide states with a constitutional basis for establishing their own police services.
The development makes Rivers one of the state legislatures to publicly take a position on the proposal since the National Assembly began transmitting the bill to the states.
How the Constitutional Process Reached the States
The state police proposal has gone through several stages at the federal level in 2026.
President Bola Tinubu transmitted a constitutional amendment bill to the House of Representatives in July, seeking a legal framework for the establishment of State Police Services. The House subsequently considered the executive proposal after withdrawing its earlier version of the state police bill.
The House of Representatives later passed the executive-backed proposal in July, with 311 lawmakers voting in favour of the bill.
The National Assembly then transmitted the State Police constitutional amendment to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, subsequently clarified that the State Police Bill was the only constitutional alteration proposal that had been transmitted to the state legislatures at that stage. He said the decision to prioritise the proposal followed public demands and concerns over security and policing in Nigeria.
What the Proposed State Police System Would Change
The proposed constitutional framework would create a dual policing structure consisting of the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
Under the proposal, states would have the constitutional authority to establish their own police services through legislation passed by their respective Houses of Assembly.
The federal police would continue to operate nationally, while state police would provide policing within individual states under the proposed constitutional and legislative framework.
The House of Representatives’ earlier consideration of the proposal included provisions dealing with the powers, funding, oversight, recruitment and administration of state police services.
The proposed framework also provides for national standards and oversight mechanisms intended to ensure that state police services meet specified requirements before becoming operational.
A state police service would therefore not simply come into existence following a state’s approval of the constitutional amendment. Additional legal and institutional requirements would have to be fulfilled before operations could begin.
Constitutional Approval Still Required
Rivers State’s endorsement is an important step, but it does not by itself establish a state police service in Rivers or anywhere else in Nigeria.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional amendment process, a proposed constitutional alteration must secure approval from at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before the process can proceed to its subsequent stages.
Reports on the nationwide process indicate that state legislatures have begun considering the proposal, with some approving it while others have established committees or commenced deliberations.
Osun State was reported to have become the first state legislature to approve the proposed amendment before the Rivers Assembly’s decision.
The National Assembly has asked state legislatures to communicate their resolutions after considering the bill, although the Constitution does not prescribe a specific deadline for completing their consideration.
Security Concerns Behind the Reform
The state police proposal has been presented against the backdrop of persistent security challenges across Nigeria.
Supporters of the constitutional reform have argued that a more decentralised policing structure could bring law enforcement closer to communities and improve local intelligence gathering and response to security threats.
The National Assembly has also cited public demand for reforms to Nigeria’s policing architecture as one reason for prioritising the State Police Bill among the constitutional alteration proposals.
The proposal has nevertheless generated debate over how state police would be funded, supervised and protected from political interference.
Those questions are particularly relevant because state governments would have significant roles within the proposed system.
The Presidency has previously said the framework must contain safeguards against the misuse of state police for political purposes. In August, Chief of Staff to President Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, said state policing should not become an instrument for political control.
Rivers and the Wider Policing Debate
Rivers State’s endorsement comes as lawmakers and governments across the country continue to debate whether Nigeria’s existing centralised policing arrangement is adequate for the country’s security needs.
The proposed reform would represent a major change to Nigeria’s policing structure, which has historically been dominated by the Nigeria Police Force operating under federal authority.
The debate is therefore not limited to whether states should have their own police services. It also involves questions about accountability, funding, recruitment, training, operational independence, federal-state coordination and protection of citizens’ rights.
These issues will become increasingly important if the constitutional amendment secures the required level of support from state legislatures.
What Happens Next
The constitutional amendment process will continue as state Houses of Assembly consider the State Police Bill and communicate their positions to the National Assembly.
For the proposal to advance, at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state legislatures must approve the constitutional alteration.
If the required threshold is reached, the amendment would proceed through the remaining constitutional process. Further legislation and institutional arrangements would then be required to establish and regulate individual State Police Services.
Rivers Assembly’s endorsement therefore represents support for the constitutional amendment, rather than the immediate creation of a Rivers State Police Service.
The next significant stage will be determining whether enough state legislatures approve the proposal to satisfy the constitutional requirement.
For Nigeria, the outcome could reshape the country’s policing architecture and the division of law-enforcement responsibilities between federal and state authorities.
Weng Global – stories beyond borders
Sources
Rivers State House of Assembly
National Assembly of Nigeria
Punch Newspapers
Vanguard
Channels Television
Trust Radio
New Telegraph
