The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.
The bill was passed during plenary in Awka on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, after scaling the first, second and third readings, marking another significant step in the push to decentralize the country’s policing system.
The executive bill, which originated from the Presidency, seeks to establish a constitutional framework that would allow individual states to operate their own police services while maintaining national standards and safeguards.
The lawmakers adopted the bill through a voice vote during a sitting presided over by the Speaker, Dr Somtochukwu Udeze.
Following its passage, Udeze directed the Clerk of the Assembly to transmit the resolution to the National Assembly for further action.
How the Proposed State Police System Would Work
Under the proposed framework, the Nigeria Police Force would remain the primary policing institution in a state until a state police service is lawfully established and certified operational.
The proposal also retains the Federal Government’s policing responsibilities across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
It provides for civilian oversight, protection of human rights, independent police service commissions, cooperation between federal and state authorities, criminal information systems and firearms control.
The framework also outlines circumstances in which federal intervention may be necessary, including institutional breakdown, serious incapacity, threats to national security or grave abuses within a state police service.
Lawmakers Back Decentralized Policing
The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Ikenna Ofodeme, described state police as an important step towards addressing security challenges that often emerge at the community level.
He argued that allowing states to respond directly to local security threats could improve response times and reduce dependence on directives from the Inspector-General of Police.
Ofodeme also said the proposed arrangement could create employment opportunities for young people and ease the pressure on the military, which is frequently deployed to support internal security operations.
He further suggested that local vigilantes could be integrated into the system after receiving appropriate training and operating under a lawful framework.
Constitutional Approval Still Required
The passage of the bill by the Anambra Assembly does not, by itself, establish a state police service.
Because the proposal involves altering the Constitution, it must secure approval from at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can proceed to the final stage of the constitutional amendment process.
The proposal forms part of broader national efforts to address insecurity, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence, amid continuing debate over whether a decentralized policing system would improve security or expose law enforcement to political interference.
With Anambra’s approval, attention now turns to the wider constitutional process and whether sufficient states will support the proposed reform.
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