State police: Five more Assemblies pass bill, FG panel submits draft

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced on Tuesday that it had forwarded the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, along with 29 related amendment bills to the Ministry of Justice for legislative drafting review and validation.

This development follows approvals by the state assemblies of Ogun, Delta, Plateau, Kwara, and Adamawa of the police bill, as well as prior endorsements from Edo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, and Zamfara, which had previously ratified the constitutional amendments necessary to establish state policing.

The proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was transmitted to all 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, for their consideration and approval.

The Sixth Alteration Bill modifies section 214 of the Constitution to dissolve the unified Nigeria Police Force and establish in its place a Federal Police Service and State Police Services, undertaken as a measure to address the nation's security concerns.

In a statement released Tuesday by the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Femi Gbajabiamila, the group indicated that it had concluded the drafting phase of its responsibilities.

The PWG noted that the draft bill was delivered to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Monday.

The statement read, "The submission was completed on October 19, 2026, to the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, consistent with the Working Group's established work plan.

"The ministry's examination will verify that the bills adhere to legislative drafting standards and conventions, and that they are compatible with existing legislation.

"The Ministry of Justice is anticipated to provide the validated draft bills to the Working Group by or before Friday, October 30th, 2026. The Working Group will subsequently conduct final review of the validated bills before submitting them to Mr President, thereby fulfilling its mandate."

Gbajabiamila said the proposed National Policing Bill seeks to establish the constitutional and legislative framework for a dual policing structure, made up of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

He added that the Working Group remained committed to “a rigorous and transparent process” that would deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal for the President’s consideration and subsequent transmission to the National Assembly.

According to the former legislator, the work was proceeding alongside the ongoing consideration of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 by the State Houses of Assembly, which “must be completed before the Bill is transmitted to the National Assembly”.

On October 15, Gbajabiamila told State House correspondents that the policing bill was “90 per cent ready” and would be transmitted to the National Assembly on October 29.

The Senate passed the bill on June 24, after which it was also passed by the House of Representatives.

Afterwards, the National Assembly sent it to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, where it must be approved by at least 24 state assemblies.

Tinubu inaugurated the seven-member Presidential Working Group on July 7, with its steering committee starting work on August 3.

He mandated it to produce a “technically robust, implementation-ready draft National Policing Bill.’’

When asked how long the review by the justice ministry would take, Kamarudeen Ogundele, the Special Assistant, Media, to the AGF, said, “Is there any rule that says that it must be done within one week, two months, three months or four months? When did we start having periods within which a case should be treated and sent for approval?

‘’I am not in the position to confirm that now. This thing has a procedure; it has a process, and due process must be followed. So, now saying that maybe it has to be done within one week or two weeks or whatever, where no law says it must be done within that period or whatever, is unnecessary,” he added.

The Senate also declined to comment on the Executive’s proposed timeline, saying it would wait until it formally receives the bills before taking a position.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this in an interview.

“Well, we cannot pass comment on what the Executive said until we receive correspondence from them,” he said.

Adaramodu, however, described the proposed legislation as a matter of public interest that lawmakers were determined to conclude expeditiously.

The Senate spokesman dismissed concerns over delays by state assemblies in approving the constitutional amendment, despite the expiration of the 30-day deadline set for them to submit their inputs.

He explained that the deadline was intended for state legislatures to communicate their positions, adding that the Senate would consider their responses alongside the executive’s proposals.

“All those things (state approvals) will be brought to us, and we will put them under consideration because we are still going to hold a conference to address it.

“Again, you need to understand that the 30-day deadline is not for us. It is for the states to send in their inputs. And they have been doing that,” he said.

Adaramodu expressed confidence that all states would have submitted their responses by the time the executive formally transmitted its proposals. He maintained that the process would not undermine the Senate’s commitment to passing the legislation before the end of the year.

The Ogun State House of Assembly adopted a resolution during its Tuesday sitting to endorse the consideration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, concerning the establishment of State Police Services. The resolution, formally designated as H.R. No. 194/OG/2025, addressed the Consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 (Establishment of State Police Services).

The adoption of this resolution was preceded by the presentation of a comprehensive report from the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review, which was chaired by former Speaker Olakunle Oluomo. The committee's report encompassed 26 clauses and sectional amendments to the Constitution. Oluomo systematically reviewed each proposed amendment, and the assembly members voted unanimously in support of all clauses and sections included in the amendments.

The proposed amendments addressed various dimensions of the bill, encompassing the substitution, insertion, and modification of specific constitutional provisions. Subsequently, the lawmaker initiated a motion for the adoption of the committee's report, which was seconded by Adegoke Adeyanju and supported by all members through a voice vote.

The House Leader, Yusuf Sherif, then moved for the report to be formally adopted as a resolution of the House, with the Chief Whip, Omolola Bakare, providing the seconding motion. This motion received unanimous support from all lawmakers through a voice vote.

In his concluding remarks, Speaker Daisi Elemide stated, "The Assembly has joined other state Houses of Assembly throughout the nation in supporting the establishment of State Police, and this decision represents a historic milestone.

“The passage of the resolution reflected the position of the lawmakers and the people of the State in supporting the establishment of State Police to strengthen security, through improved security measures in protecting the lives and property of the citizenry, thereby promoting the social well-being and economic development of the state”

Elemide later directed that a clean copy of the resolution be transmitted to the National Assembly to communicate the state’s support for the establishment of State Police Services.

Delta approves bill

Similarly, members of the Delta State House of Assembly unanimously approved the 6th Alteration Bill of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to provide for the establishment of State Police Services.

All 23 members present at plenary on Tuesday, through head count, voted in favour of the bill.

The letter, which was read on the floor by the Speaker, Emomotimi Guwor, outlined the objective of the bill, which seeks to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment of State Police Services while preserving the Nigeria Police Force as the Federal Police Service.

Leading the debate on the merits of the bill, the Majority Leader, Emeka Nwaobi, said, “The proposed amendment aims to guarantee security of lives and property through a dual policing system, allowing states to establish and fund their own police services to address rising cases of insecurity, particularly at the local level.”

Other lawmakers, who spoke in favour of the bill, affirmed their support, noting that it would strengthen local intelligence gathering, improve response to security challenges, create employment opportunities and help tackle insecurity at the grassroots.

Guwor commended the members for their support and patriotism, assuring that “the establishment of state police would go a long way in strengthening grassroots policing and creating a safer environment for invest