…Benue, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, Yobe pass bill into law
…Borno, Katsina, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kano and Jigawa still brainstorming on bill
A crucial legislation which was initiated at the National Assembly to empower states to establish their police forces and use for maintaining security, which was sent to the state Houses of Assembly for adoption into state laws, has been given acceleration by many of the 19 northern states. Our correspondents find out that the bill has already been passed into law in Benue, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara and Yobe states. However, states such as Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano and Bauchi are still brainstorming on the security legislation.
By Soni Daniel, Editor, Northern Region, Umar Yusuf (Yola), Peter Duru (Makurdi), Ndahi Marama (Maiduguri), Femi Bolaji (Jalingo), Haruna Aliyu (Birnin Kebbi), Golok Nanmwa (Jos),
Hadiza Yusuf (Kano), Edwin Phillips (Lafia), Idris Salisu (Gusau), Fauziyya Lawal (Katsina), Maryam Usman (Damaturu), Christopher Ameh (Bauchi), Muhammad Inuwa (Dutse),
Birnin Kebbi: The bill was received with joy once it got to the floor of the Kebbi State House of Assembly and it was deliberated upon and eventually passed into law that empowers the state to set up its own police.
The Kebbi State House of Assembly aligned with the position of the National Assembly and recommended the alteration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and for related matters.
This followed the presentation of the report of the House Committee on Home Affairs and Internal Security, led by Muhammad Garba Bena, during Wednesday’s plenary session, presided over by the Speaker of the Assembly, Salihu Maikasuwa Dangoje.
After the presentation of the report, the House proceeded to a vote, in which 20 out of the 24 members present at the sitting voted in favour of the establishment of State Police Services, while 4 members were officially absent.
Thereafter, the House, led by the Speaker, adopted the position of the National Assembly and recommended that the Bill for the Establishment of State Police Services (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 Sixth Alteration Bill, 2026) be passed, having secured the required two-thirds majority from the Kebbi State House of Assembly, as stipulated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The Plateau State House of Assembly has also adopted the position of the NASS and passed the state police bill into law without much delay.
The decision was taken during plenary on Tuesday presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel, following the presentation of the committee’s report by its chairman, Prof. Theodore Bala Maiyaki, who represents Qua’an-Pan South Constituency.
Presenting the report, Maiyaki said, “The proposed constitutional amendment has become necessary in view of the security challenges facing the country, the manpower shortage in the Nigeria Police Force and the need to strengthen local policing arrangements.”
Following deliberations, the lawmakers adopted the committee’s recommendations and voted in support of the proposed constitutional amendment.
In Taraba, the state House of Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved the constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police, marking a major legislative step toward decentralizing security and reinforcing crime prevention across the state.
The bill, transmitted from the National Assembly as part of ongoing constitutional review processes, was formally laid before the lawmakers by the Majority Leader, Hon. Jethro Yakubu Zikengyu, and received by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. John Kizito Bonzena.
Following exhaustive deliberations on the floor of the House, members unanimously voted to adopt the legislative measure, signaling strong backing for localized security architectures to tackle emerging criminal challenges.
Speaking after the adoption, Speaker John Kizito Bonzena noted that establishing a state police system will drastically improve response times, foster closer intelligence sharing with federal security agencies, and create meaningful employment opportunities for youths.
Bonzena said: “The proposed state police framework will strengthen our institutional capacity to curb criminal activities, protect rural and urban communities, and guarantee public safety across Taraba State.”
In Zamfara State, the members of the state House of Assembly have passed the resolution supporting constitutional alterations aimed at facilitating the establishment of state police.
The Speaker of the Assembly Hon. Bilyaminu Ismail Moriki, disclosed that the establishment of state police would complement the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal in addressing insecurity in the state and in across the country.
Moriko expressed optimism that the Zamfara State Government would provide the necessary framework and support required to ensure the effective operation of state Police if established.
“Our Governor Dauda Lawal Is committed to a peaceful Zamfara. That is why he assured of his total support to see this new development see the light of the day,” Moriki said
Lawmakers in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly have also adopted the position of the NASS and passed the bill as sent to them by the national Assembly to establish state police in the state.
The approval was given on Wednesday during plenary in Lafia, presided over by the Speaker, Dr. Danladi Jatau.
Jatau read the 26 clauses of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, transmitted by the National Assembly, before putting each clause to a voice vote.
The state lawmakers unanimously voted in favour of all the clauses, after which the Speaker declared that the bill as passed into law.
In a similar display of support for state police, the Yobe State House of Assembly has approved the proposed constitutional amendment establishing state police in Nigeria.
The Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chiroma Buba Mashio confirmed this to Vanguard correspondent on Thursday.
Mashio signed the resolution on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Yobe’s approval adds the state to those supporting decentralised policing amid persistent security challenges across the country.
In the same vein, the Benue State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the establishment of state police in Nigeria, adopting a proposed constitutional amendment bill seeking to provide the legal framework for decentralised policing to tackle the country’s growing security challenges.
The decision was taken during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Alfred Emberga, following deliberations on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
The Executive bill was presented for consideration by the House Majority Leader, Mr. Peter Ipusu, who urged lawmakers to give it accelerated consideration to ensure the legislative process was completed within the stipulated timeframe.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish a constitutional framework for the creation and operation of state police services alongside the Federal Police Service, with provisions addressing their responsibilities, funding and operational guidelines.
The House in a unanimous vote passed the constitutional amendment.
The Speaker in his ruling directed the Clerk to convey the resolution of the House to the National Assembly.
However, the bill is still facing deliberations in the Katsina State House of Assembly, after it took the first legislative step towards considering the proposed State Police Bill, following its receipt and passage through first reading.
The development marks the beginning of the Assembly’s consideration of the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police and decentralise Nigeria’s policing system amid persistent security challenges.
The same situation has played out at the Borno State House of Assembly, which is still deliberating on the state police bill after it received it from the NASS.
The Clerk of the Borno State House of Assembly, Shettima Garba, confirmed that the House leadership is yet to deliberate nor pass the Police Bill into law.
The clerk said however that had met and read out the bill at one of its plenary sessions.
According to him, the bill needs ample time to study its positive or negative impact to the citizenry.
In Jigawa State, the State House of Assembly has raised a committee to critically examine the constitutional amendments bill and make recommendations on how it reflects the interests of the people of Jigawa State.
The Speaker of Jigawa State House of Assembly, Haruna Dangyatim, said the Assembly had already received the bill and would work on it within the stipulated timeline.
Dangyatim said: “We have received the Constitution Amendment Bill from the National Assembly, and I want to assure you that we will do the needful before the deadline given to all state assemblies which is the end of this month.
“Within the stipulated timeline contained in the letter of the bill, we are given 30 days to complete the legislative work on the bill from the date we received the letter,” he stated.
The Speaker assured that the House would give the bill accelerated attention, saying that they were studying the document thoroughly to ensure that their position aligns with the aspirations of the people.
In Kano, the State House of Assembly has conducted the first reading of the proposed State Police Bill and distributed copies of the draft legislation to members for further study.
The Chief Press Secretary and spokesperson of the Assembly, Kamal Sani Shawai, disclosed this to Vanguard on Thursday while explaining the status of the proposed bill.
Shawai said copies of the draft had been given to lawmakers to enable them to study its provisions before the House reconvenes to deliberate on it.
He said the Assembly would take further action on the bill after members had familiarised themselves with its contents.
But in Adamawa, the assemblymen are yet to deliberate and take a position on the state police bill.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon Musa Kalam, however said that they members would soon meet to take action on the bill.
A similar situation is playing out at the Bauchi State House of Assembly, which is yet to conclude consideration of the proposed State Police bill, despite the expiration of the two-week deadline given to an ad-hoc committee set up to examine the proposal.
The Speaker of the House, Abubakar Y. Suleiman, had constituted the committee, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Jamilu Ummaru Dahiru, to deliberate on the bill and report back to the whole house.
However, two weeks after the committee was given the deadline to complete its assignment, the House is yet to announce the outcome of its deliberations or the passage of the bill.
The delay leaves the proposed establishment of State Police in Bauchi State pending, amid growing calls for stronger security measures to tackle insecurity across the country.
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