Nigeria House Passes Constitutional Amendment to Create State Police

The Nigerian House of Representatives approved a constitutional amendment that would establish state police forces alongside the existing Federal Police. The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police and for Related Matters (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026,” was passed unanimously with 289 votes in favour and one abstention. It amends Section 214 to create both Federal and State Police, setting minimum standards and requiring each state to pass its own law before a state police can operate. The amendment limits federal intervention to cases of complete law‑and‑order breakdown or when a state force is unable to function. It also changes the appointment process for the Inspector‑General of Police and State Commissioners, giving the President and governors the respective appointing powers, subject to confirmation by the National Assembly and State Assemblies. The proposal revises the structure of the Nigeria Police Council and the Police Service Commission. The passage marks a major step in Nigeria’s long‑standing debate over policing decentralisation and internal security reforms.