The National Assembly is preparing to transmit the proposed State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent after receiving and verifying approvals from 28 State Houses of Assembly.

The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the number of approving state legislatures had exceeded the constitutional requirement of at least 24 states.

The proposed amendment, contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to establish State Police Services and provide the legal framework for their operation alongside the existing federal police structure.

Ogunlana said the bill was transmitted to the 36 state assemblies on September 16, 2026, for consideration, with a request that their decisions be communicated to the National Assembly within 30 days.

Although the deadline expired on October 15, he explained that his office would continue receiving approval reports from state legislatures until the bill was transmitted for presidential assent.

He said the 28 approvals had been verified through an administrative review of the reports and accompanying Votes and Proceedings to establish their authenticity and confirm that they accurately reflected the decisions of the respective assemblies.

The approvals represent more than the two-thirds majority of the 36 state legislatures required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for constitutional amendments.

The clerk also clarified that Section 9 did not expressly require a third reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary legislation.

He said the necessary administrative arrangements were underway to facilitate the transmission of the bill to Tinubu in accordance with the Acts Authentication Act, 2004.

The development marks a major stage in efforts to decentralise Nigeria's policing system, which currently operates under a centrally controlled Nigeria Police Force.

Proponents of state police have argued that allowing states to establish their own security formations would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based policing and enable faster responses to local security threats, including kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence.

However, concerns have also been raised about possible political interference, inadequate funding and the protection of citizens' rights under state-controlled police structures.

The proposed amendment is expected to provide the constitutional framework for the establishment and regulation of state police services while retaining the federal policing structure.

The National Assembly said it would continue to provide updates on the constitutional amendment process.