The proposed establishment of state police has crossed a major constitutional hurdle, with 24 state Houses of Assembly approving the amendment bill, while Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi and nine northern states are yet to endorse it.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill disclosed this in a statement issued by the Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the group, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Friday, October 23.
“The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill notes with satisfaction that the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, providing for a dual policing system, has been approved by 24 State Houses of Assembly, meeting the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of the 36 states,” the statement reads in part.
The working group commended the state assemblies for supporting the proposed reform and acknowledged the National Assembly for passing the amendment in both chambers.
The states that have approved the proposed constitutional amendment are:
1. Adamawa
2. Delta
3. Edo
4. Kwara
5. Nasarawa
6. Ogun
7. Osun
8. Oyo
9. Plateau
10. Rivers
11. Taraba
12. Zamfara
13. Enugu
14. Anambra
15. Imo
16. Ekiti
17. Kebbi
18. Akwa Ibom
19. Bayelsa
20. Benue
21. Cross River
22. Abia
23. Yobe
24. Kaduna
The latest development comes days after Gbajabiamila said the proposed National Policing Bill was 90 per cent ready for transmission to the National Assembly, with the Federal Government expecting to submit it within two weeks.
Recall that Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, October 15, while briefing newsmen after a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja, stated that the committee would hold at least one more meeting to resolve outstanding issues before transmitting the bill to the National Assembly.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90 per cent ready,” he said.
