24 state assemblies back state police bill, returns to NASS for Tinubu's assent
- Twenty-four state Houses of Assembly have approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, meeting the two-thirds threshold.
- The bill now goes back to the National Assembly before being sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
- The City Boy Movement says young Nigerians would gain most from state police, but warns against political abuse.
A proposed change to Nigeria's constitution that would allow states to run their own police forces has cleared a key hurdle. Twenty-four state Houses of Assembly have approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, according to a statement from the City Boy Movement (CBM) reported by The Sun.
That number meets the two-thirds requirement set out in Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. With the state-level vote done, the amendment goes back to the National Assembly, which will then send it to President Bola Tinubu to sign.
The idea of state police has been debated in Nigeria for decades. Supporters say officers who know their own areas would respond faster to kidnapping, banditry and communal clashes. Critics worry that governors could use local forces against opponents or favour one group over another.
What it means for young Nigerians
The City Boy Movement, in a statement by its National Director of Public Affairs, Daniel Ogoloma, said young people have the most to gain. Insecurity, it argued, has cut into jobs, schooling and business, and has scared off investors.
Ogoloma named traders, tech entrepreneurs and farmers as the people who would feel the difference if policing moved closer to communities. "Young Nigerians do not need another promise of opportunity," he said. "They need roads they can travel safely, businesses they can operate without fear and communities where they can pursue their ambitions in peace."
The group also said the reform is not finished. It pointed to the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, whose draft law and related amendments are being reviewed at the Federal Ministry of Justice.
CBM said state police would only work if officers are well trained, professional and held to account, and if citizens' rights are respected. It warned that the new forces must never become tools for political intimidation or abuse of power.
It asked the state assemblies that have not yet voted to back the amendment, and said it would use its structures in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to spread awareness as the process continues.
What happens next
The bill returns to the National Assembly for the next step before it reaches President Tinubu. The National Policing Bill, which would set out how state forces operate, is still being worked on at the Ministry of Justice. The sources did not say how many states have yet to vote or when the President is expected to act.
