Nasarawa Assembly Approves State Police Bill

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has approved a bill to set up state police. This makes it one of 12 state legislatures that have backed this change.

The lawmakers agreed on all 26 parts of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, during a meeting in Lafia on Tuesday.

The National Assembly sent the bill to the state assemblies for approval. It aims to change the 1999 Constitution to create a legal path for state police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Danladi Jatau, told the Clerk of the House to inform the National Assembly about their decision.

With Nasarawa's approval, 12 state assemblies have now backed the proposed change. The other states include Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Ogun, Delta, Kwara, and Adamawa.

This proposal is part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria's policing system. This comes as the country deals with issues like kidnapping, banditry, communal violence, and conflicts between farmers and herders.

The proposed amendment wants to change Sections 214, 215, and 216 of the Constitution and add a new Section 317A. It also suggests changes to how police service commissions and law enforcement are managed at both federal and state levels.

According to Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, amending the Constitution needs the support of at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly, which is 24 states.

So far, 12 assemblies have approved the proposal. Another 12 need to back it for the amendment to succeed.

Supporters of state police believe that having local police would help gather intelligence better. They think it would also improve community security and allow law enforcement to respond more quickly to local issues.

They argue that state police could fix the problems caused by having a centralised police system in a country with many security challenges.

But some critics worry that governors might misuse state police to threaten political rivals, journalists, and others who speak out against them.

There are also concerns about how state police will be funded, how officers will be recruited, and whether they will operate independently. Issues around human rights and accountability have been raised as well.

At the federal level, the Presidential Working Group on State Police has sent a draft National Policing Bill and 29 other amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for approval.

Nasarawa's approval adds to the growing support for this reform. But state police cannot be established until the constitutional amendment and other necessary legislative steps are completed.