Constitutional amendment to let each of the 36 states create its own police force, alongside the federal police. Has cleared Senate (Jun 24, 2026), House of Representatives, and ratification by 2/3 of state assemblies. Only presidential assent remains.
This is a bill, not a signed Act. It must clear every step below before becoming law.
Constitutional amendment bill that would decentralise Nigerian policing for the first time since 1979. Each of the 36 states would be permitted to establish its own police force, meeting a minimum national requirement and operating alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force. The federal police retains exclusive jurisdiction over counterterrorism, border patrol, organised crime and other national-security matters. The bill is the federal-government response to escalating rural insecurity — a lack of police presence in vast rural areas has allowed militant groups and bandits to operate without challenge.