Rivers Assembly Takes Major Step As State Police Bill Gets Approval

The Rivers State House of Assembly has endorsed the constitutional amendment required to pave the way for the establishment of state police services in Nigeria.

The development followed the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration and approval.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the proposed constitutional amendment is aimed at creating a framework that would allow individual states to establish and operate their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

The National Assembly has already passed the State Police Services Bill and forwarded it to the state legislatures as part of the constitutional amendment process. For the amendment to proceed, it must secure the approval of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, representing a minimum of 24 states.

Under the proposed framework, state police would operate at the state level, while the Federal Police would retain responsibilities for national security matters and other areas assigned to it under the amended constitutional framework.

The proposal also includes safeguards intended to prevent the abuse of state police powers. Among the provisions is a restriction against using state police to target individuals or groups because of criticism of a government.

The push for state police has gained support from several governors, state lawmakers and other political stakeholders, amid continued calls for changes to Nigeria’s security architecture.

Rivers’ approval adds to the growing number of state legislatures considering the constitutional amendment. Osun State became the first state to approve the proposal after its lawmakers unanimously endorsed the amendment on September 22, 2026.

The ongoing process is expected to determine whether the proposed constitutional framework for state police will secure the required support from state legislatures before the amendment can proceed to the next stage of the constitutional process.