The Kogi State House of Assembly has unanimously approved the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria, joining the growing number of state legislatures supporting the decentralisation of the country’s policing system.
The bill was passed on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, during plenary in Lokoja following deliberations led by the House Leader, Dr Suleiman Abdulrazak, and a clause-by-clause consideration of the proposed amendment by the Committee of the Whole.
The legislation, known as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police services alongside a federal policing structure.
Speaker of the Assembly, Aliyu Umar Yusuf, described the session as significant, noting that it provided lawmakers with an opportunity to determine Kogi State’s position on one of the country’s most consequential security reforms.
Yusuf said state policing had remained an important issue in Nigeria’s nation-building debate, particularly amid persistent security challenges affecting communities across the federation.
The Assembly’s decision was driven by the need to strengthen internal security, improve emergency response, enhance intelligence gathering and create employment opportunities for young people.
Supporters of the proposed reform argue that state police officers would be better positioned to understand local communities, identify emerging security threats and respond more quickly to crimes within their jurisdictions.
Nigeria continues to face a range of security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence, farmer-herder conflicts and other criminal activities. These threats have intensified calls for a policing structure that allows states to play a more direct role in protecting lives and property.
Under the proposed arrangement, state governments would have a constitutional framework for establishing and operating their own police services, while a federal police service would retain responsibilities within the national policing structure.
The reform is intended to complement existing security arrangements by bringing policing closer to communities and improving coordination between federal and state authorities.
At the conclusion of deliberations, Kogi lawmakers unanimously approved the bill and directed the Clerk of the House to communicate the Assembly’s decision to the National Assembly.
The approval comes as Nigeria advances a broader constitutional amendment process aimed at creating the legal foundation for state police. Both chambers of the National Assembly had previously passed the proposed amendment before transmitting it to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration.
Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval by at least two-thirds of the state legislatures, representing 24 of the 36 states, in addition to the required legislative approvals at the federal level.
The proposed state police amendment had already secured the support of the constitutionally required 24 state assemblies by October 23, according to the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill. Kogi’s approval therefore adds to the growing legislative backing for the reform.
The amendment must proceed through the remaining constitutional steps, including transmission to the President for assent, before it becomes part of the Constitution. The operational framework for establishing and regulating the proposed police services is also being developed.
While advocates believe decentralised policing could improve security delivery, implementation will require clear safeguards to protect police independence, prevent political interference, establish accountability mechanisms and ensure respect for fundamental human rights.
Questions surrounding funding, personnel training, operational coordination and the relationship between federal and state police services will also be important to the success of the proposed system.
For Kogi State, the Assembly’s unanimous decision signals support for a major restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture, with lawmakers backing a framework intended to strengthen local responses to crime and improve public safety.
