By Ade Oyeyemi
The Rivers State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police in Nigeria.
The lawmakers’ position followed the transmission of the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration.
The proposed amendment seeks to introduce State Police Services alongside the existing Federal Police Service, effectively creating a dual policing structure in the country.
The development places Rivers among the growing number of state legislatures considering the proposal as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process.
The National Assembly had clarified that the State Police Services Bill was the only constitutional alteration proposal so far transmitted to state assemblies, following concerns over the status of other proposed amendments.
The bill is expected to require approval by a specified number of state Houses of Assembly before the constitutional amendment process can be completed.
The push for state police has gained renewed attention amid continuing concerns over insecurity and the capacity of the existing centralised policing structure to respond effectively to security challenges across Nigeria.
Several state assemblies have already begun considering the proposal. The Osun State House of Assembly, for instance, became the first state legislature to approve the proposed constitutional amendment, with lawmakers arguing that state-controlled police could strengthen security at the grassroots.
In Plateau State, the House of Assembly has also commenced consideration of the bill while separately demanding urgent security intervention in parts of the state affected by attacks.
The proposed system would see states establish their own police services while the Federal Police Service continues to operate under the existing federal structure.
The Rivers Assembly’s support adds to the ongoing debate over how policing should be organised in Nigeria and the extent to which state authorities should have greater responsibility for security within their jurisdictions.
The constitutional amendment process will require the proposal to pass through the prescribed legislative stages before state police can become part of Nigeria’s constitutional framework.
