Delta assembly approves state police bill
The Delta State House of Assembly has approved the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria, with all 23 members voting in fa Read More:…
The push for state police has been one of Nigeria's most persistent security reform debates, with proponents arguing that a single centralised federal police force is too stretched and too distant from local realities to tackle banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes effectively. Opponents have long warned that state-controlled police could be abused by governors to intimidate political rivals or entrench power, a concern rooted in Nigeria's experience with local government and electoral manipulation. The current push is being driven through a constitutional amendment process, which requires approval by the National Assembly and at least 24 of the 36 state houses of assembly, followed by presidential assent, before it can become law.
As this report shows, several state assemblies — including Delta, Enugu, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, Taraba, Ogun and Cross River — have moved in quick succession to vote on the Sixth Alteration Bill, with most reporting unanimous or near-unanimous support. The coverage largely agrees on the mechanics of each vote but varies in emphasis: some outlets focus on the exact number of lawmakers voting and the date, others on running tallies of how many states have endorsed the bill so far, while none of the reports yet confirm how many more states are needed to cross the 24-state threshold or when the process might be concluded.