24 state assemblies approve state police amendment — Gbajabiamila
24 of 36 state assemblies have approved the constitutional amendment for a dual policing system in Nigeria, meeting the required two-thirds threshold. Read More:…
The push for state police has been one of Nigeria's longest-running federalism debates, with proponents arguing that a decentralised policing structure would improve security response times and local accountability, given the Nigeria Police Force's historical struggles with understaffing, poor funding and centralised command that leaves state governors without direct control over security in their domains. Past attempts to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow state police have repeatedly stalled at the National Assembly or state legislature level, making the current push — reportedly driven by a presidential committee working with Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila — a notable milestone if it holds.
Under Nigeria's constitutional amendment process, any alteration must be passed by two-thirds of the National Assembly and ratified by at least 24 of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can take effect. The headlines differ slightly on the exact count — Gbajabiamila and Premium Times cite 24 states meeting that threshold, while ThisDay reports 25 states have approved, listing 11 states yet to do so. None of the reports yet detail when the remaining assemblies are expected to vote, how the dual policing system would be structured and funded, or the next steps required for the bill to become law.