The push to establish state police in Nigeria has advanced, with 32 of the country’s 36 state Houses of Assembly approving the proposed constitutional amendment.
The development brings the proposal closer to the next stage of the constitution amendment process, although four states are yet to give their approval.
The outstanding states are Katsina, Bauchi, Borno and Niger, while the remaining 32 have endorsed the bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to permit the creation of state police.
The approvals exceed the constitutional requirement of at least 24 state assemblies, representing two-thirds of the 36 states, for a constitutional amendment to proceed.
However, the endorsements do not mean state police have already been established, as the proposal must still pass through the remaining stages of the amendment process before it can become law.
The proposed reform has generated debate over how policing responsibilities should be shared between federal and state authorities, particularly amid persistent security challenges across the country.
Supporters argue that state police would enable authorities to respond more quickly to security threats by bringing law enforcement closer to communities and improving local intelligence gathering.
They contend that decentralised policing could strengthen efforts to tackle kidnapping, banditry and other crimes, particularly in areas where residents have expressed concerns about the capacity of existing security agencies.
Opponents, however, have raised concerns about the possibility of state governors using local police formations to intimidate political opponents, suppress dissent or pursue partisan interests.
These concerns have kept questions about accountability, operational independence, funding and safeguards against abuse central to discussions surrounding the proposed reform.
Full list of states that approved state police
The 32 states whose Houses of Assembly have reportedly approved the proposed constitutional amendment are:
Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
Four states yet to approve the bill
The four states whose approval was still being awaited as of the report are Katsina, Bauchi, Borno and Niger.
Their positions remain outstanding in the reported tally, while the 32 approvals already recorded exceed the minimum number of state assemblies required for the constitutional amendment to advance.
The next steps in the legislative process will determine whether the proposal meets all the requirements for amending the 1999 Constitution and establishing the legal framework for state police in Nigeria.
