ONLY FIVE STATE ASSEMBLIES REPORTED TO HAVE APPROVED STATE POLICE PROPOSAL AS DEBATE CONTINUES

The proposed establishment of state police in Nigeria has encountered a legislative challenge, with reports indicating that only five State Houses of Assembly had approved the relevant constitutional amendment by the reported October 15 deadline. The development has renewed debate over whether Nigeria should decentralise its policing structure to allow states to establish their own police services. According to media reports published on October 16, the states whose assemblies approved the proposal were Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and Zamfara. The reported figure remains far below the number of state legislatures required for the constitutional amendment to proceed. The proposal is part of a wider debate about the country’s security architecture and the ability of law-enforcement agencies to respond effectively to threats across different communities. Nigeria currently operates a federal police structure, with the Nigeria Police Force responsible for policing across the country. Supporters of state police argue that state-level services could improve local intelligence, strengthen community engagement and enable faster responses to security incidents. They also contend that policing arrangements should account for differences in local security challenges. However, opponents have raised concerns about the potential politicisation of state police and the risk that governors or powerful local actors could misuse law-enforcement agencies against opponents. These concerns have made constitutional safeguards, oversight and accountability central to discussions about the proposal. A constitutional amendment requires the relevant legislative approvals before it can proceed through the remaining stages of the constitutional process. The reported low number of approvals means the proposal faces significant obstacles. However, the precise procedural position should be established through official records from the National Assembly and individual State Houses of Assembly. The issue is likely to remain important as security challenges continue to shape national policy discussions.