By Favour Raphael
The House of Representatives has passed the Executive Bill seeking to establish state police, marking a major step toward decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.
The bill was passed during Thursday’s plenary after the House withdrew its earlier constitutional amendment proposal on state police and adopted the executive-backed legislation.
Its passage follows the Senate’s approval of a similar bill, bringing Nigeria closer to adopting a dual policing system aimed at strengthening internal security and improving law enforcement at the state level.
A total of 311 lawmakers participated in the voting process. Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, said 276 members voted physically from the chamber, while 35 others participated virtually.
The legislation was passed after the House adopted the report of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
Titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Provide for the Establishment of State Police Services and for Related Matters (HB. 2797),” the bill seeks to amend the Constitution to allow the establishment of state-controlled police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The move is seen as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s long-running debate on decentralising policing to address security challenges such as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism.
President Bola Tinubu transmitted the executive bill to the House last week, stating that it builds on previous legislative efforts while introducing additional safeguards to ensure an effective and accountable dual policing system.
According to the President, the proposal is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and improve the country’s capacity to respond to evolving security threats.
Following the submission of the executive bill, the House rescinded its June 11, 2026 resolution on state police and dissolved the 12-member conference committee established on July 9 to reconcile earlier versions of the amendment.
Lawmakers subsequently adopted the executive proposal, which is expected to provide a comprehensive legal framework for implementing state police once the constitutional amendment process is completed.
