The National Assembly has transmitted the 2026 Constitution Alteration Bill, including the proposed establishment of State Police Services, to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.
The transmission, carried out on Wednesday by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, marks a crucial stage in the constitutional process for creating a dual policing structure in Nigeria.
The state legislatures have been asked to consider the bill in accordance with their respective legislative procedures and communicate their resolutions to the National Assembly within 30 days of receiving it.
Ogunlana, however, clarified that the 30-day period is an administrative timeframe and not a constitutional deadline, as the 1999 Constitution does not prescribe a specific period within which state Houses of Assembly must respond to constitutional alteration bills. �
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval by not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly.
This means that at least 24 state legislatures must approve the relevant constitutional alteration before the process can advance.
The transmission therefore places the state legislatures at the centre of the next phase of the State Police debate, with each Assembly expected to independently deliberate on the proposal and communicate its decision to the National Assembly.
The National Assembly said it recognised the constitutional responsibilities and independence of the state legislatures and urged them to follow their respective legislative procedures in considering the bill.
According to Ogunlana, the 30-day administrative timeframe was designed to facilitate an orderly and coordinated conclusion of the amendment process.
He said the National Assembly would take the necessary next steps after receiving the resolutions of the various State Houses of Assembly.
The proposed amendment seeks to introduce a dual policing arrangement comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
Under the framework, individual states would be empowered to establish State Police Services through laws passed by their respective Houses of Assembly, subject to constitutional provisions and national minimum standards.
State Police Services would have responsibility for areas including the enforcement of state laws, maintenance of public safety and order, prevention and detection of offences within their jurisdictions, and protection of lives and property.
The Federal Police Service would, however, retain responsibility for federal policing functions and would continue policing a state until its State Police Service becomes operational.
The proposed framework also envisages national minimum standards covering recruitment, training, certification, appointment, promotion, discipline, use of force, firearms, custody, complaints, criminal information, intergovernmental cooperation, public reporting and accountability.
The safeguards are intended to provide common standards across the country while allowing states to operate their own police services.
The latest development follows months of legislative activity surrounding the proposed restructuring of Nigeria’s policing architecture.
Earlier in the process, the House of Representatives and the Senate considered proposals seeking constitutional changes to permit State Police Services. Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre noted that the two chambers initially had different versions of the proposal, making harmonisation necessary before the measure could move to the state legislatures.
The proposal has also received backing from the Presidency, with the administration presenting decentralised policing as part of broader efforts to respond to Nigeria’s security challenges.
Channels Television reported that the current framework is intended to bring policing closer to communities while retaining federal responsibility for areas such as national security and other matters requiring nationwide coordination.
The constitutional amendment process remains incomplete, however. Approval by the 36 State Houses of Assembly is a separate constitutional requirement, and the proposal will need the prescribed level of state concurrence before subsequent steps can be taken.
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