The Rivers State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the bill for the creation of state policing in Nigeria.
This follows 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 their review and approval.
On September 16, 2026, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, officially forwarded the bill in compliance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The decision was also in line with Section 9 of the Constitution, which states that any proposed amendment passed by the National Assembly requires the concurrence via resolution of at least two-thirds (24 out of 36) of the State Houses of Assembly before it can be presented for presidential assent.
Although the Constitution sets no statutory deadline for state legislatures to return their votes, the National Assembly leadership established a 30-day administrative timeframe to encourage an orderly and timely conclusion to the alteration exercise.
The Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a framework for decentralised policing, has so far received significant attention following presidential backing and the inauguration of a working group aimed at operationalising a dual policing structure in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, had said the reform was designed to bring policing closer to Nigerians while building safeguards that can make the system more effective and trusted.
More to follow…
