The Lagos State House of Assembly has unanimously supported the proposed establishment of state police, but its speaker said the constitutional amendment must clearly define the powers and responsibilities of the new force.
Lawmakers cut recess short
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa announced the decision Tuesday at a plenary session lawmakers reconvened for after cutting their recess short to consider the Constitution Amendment Bill transmitted by the National Assembly. He commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to democratic institutions, as well as the Senate and House of Representatives for advancing the proposal.
Obasa said state police has been a recurring issue from the fifth to the 10th Assembly, with successive legislatures discussing ways to strengthen security and protect lives and property.
He said he was pleased the issue has received attention but warned of concerns that must be addressed for the arrangement to work. The functions and responsibilities of state police should be clearly defined, with appropriate provisions for state legislatures, he said.
He cautioned that disparities in the proposed arrangements could create an imbalance between the federal and state governments. He said that even where a state assembly has power, it is joined with the National Assembly, and that where the two conflict, the national law supersedes. He questioned whether the proposal creates a true state police or an offshoot of the national force.
Obasa also called for a clear constitutional provision for parliamentary police to protect legislative institutions and preserve their independence. He cited past incidents in which state legislative buildings were allegedly demolished or locked up at the instance of governors, saying dedicated parliamentary police would help prevent such occurrences and strengthen state legislatures.
Where the bill stands
The bill, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to provide for the establishment of a State Police Service. It would give constitutional backing to a dual policing system of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
The National Assembly transmitted the bill to state assemblies on Sept. 16 with a 30-day administrative window. The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, chaired by Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, announced Friday that 24 state assemblies had approved it, reaching the two-thirds threshold of the 36 states.
Obasa said nearly 25 states had expressed support for the alteration and urged continued cooperation between the state legislature and the National Assembly to resolve the remaining issues.
A draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and 29 consequential bills detailing the operational framework are undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice. Gbajabiamila said the validated drafts were expected back on or before Friday for final consideration before presentation to Tinubu.
