The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the bill for the creation of state police in Nigeria.
The approval 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 concurrence.
The bill was considered at Monday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule.
Amaewhule said the Assembly fully supports President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to secure lives and property through the establishment of state policing.
Citing Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Speaker explained that an alteration to the Constitution requires two-thirds support of the National Assembly and approval by resolution of at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly.
“As required by the Constitution, our responsibility will be to vote whether or not we approve of the alteration of the Constitution so proposed by the National Assembly. No debate is allowed; we will just vote whether we accept or we do not accept,” he said.
He said the bill seeks to create a constitutional pathway for State Police Services, subject to an Act of the National Assembly that will prescribe national minimum policing standards.
According to him, the bill retains the Nigeria Police Force as the default policing authority in any state until a State Police Service is lawfully established and certified operational, while also preserving federal policing roles in all states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Amaewhule noted that the bill provides guardrails covering civilian control, human rights, national minimum standards, independent police service commissions, intergovernmental cooperation, firearms control, and exceptional federal intervention in cases of breakdown, national security threat or egregious abuse.
He said the bill contains 26 clauses, including 25 alterations to sections 84, 89, 121, 124, 129, 153, 157, 158, 160, 197, 201, 202, 204, 214, 215, 216, 317A, 318 and the Second, Third and Fifth Schedules of the Constitution.
Following the reading, the House voted unanimously with 25 members in favour, none against and no abstentions.
“By this voting, the 10th Assembly of Rivers State is fully in support of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, 2022,” Amaewhule declared.
He said the Assembly prioritises the protection of lives and property, adding that sub-national policing to complement the federal police is a welcome development.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, had on September 16, 2026, forwarded the Constitution Alteration Bill to state assemblies in line with Section 9 of the Constitution, which requires concurrence of at least 24 of the 36 states before presidential assent.
The National Assembly leadership set a 30-day administrative timeframe for state legislatures to return their resolutions, although the Constitution does not stipulate a statutory deadline.
The bill has received renewed attention following presidential backing and the inauguration of a Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill chaired by Femi Gbajabiamila, aimed at operationalising a dual policing structure in the country.
