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The Rivers State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the bill for the creation of state policing in Nigeria.
This follows the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for their review and approval.
The House voted unanimously to approve the proposed alteration of the 1999 Constitution.
The item dominated Monday’s plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, who said the Assembly fully supports the efforts of President Bola Tinubu to secure the lives and property of citizens through the establishment of state police.
Before the vote, the Speaker drew the attention of lawmakers to Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which empowers the National Assembly to alter the Constitution.
He explained that under Section 9(2), such an alteration must be supported by two-thirds of the members of the National Assembly and approved by resolution of the houses of assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states.
“As required by the Constitution, our responsibility will be to vote whether or not we approve of the alteration of the Constitution so proposed by the National Assembly. No debate is allowed; we will just vote whether we accept or we do not accept,” he told the House.
The Speaker then presented the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, 2022, explaining that it seeks to create a constitutional pathway for the establishment of State Police Services, subject to the Constitution and to an Act of the National Assembly prescribing national minimum policing standards.
According to him, the bill preserves the Federal Police Service as the default police service in any state until a State Police Service is lawfully established and certified operational, and retains the continuing federal policing role in every state and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
It also establishes constitutional guardrails covering civilian control, human rights, national minimum standards, independent police service commissions, intergovernmental cooperation, criminal information systems, firearms control, and exceptional federal intervention in state policing in cases of breakdown, serious incapacity, national security threat, or egregious abuse.
The Speaker added that the detailed organisation, procedures, operational control, certification, complaints mechanisms, grants, and implementation arrangements are to be left to subsequent Acts of the National Assembly and, where applicable, the laws of the state Houses of Assembly.
He noted that the bill contains 26 clauses, including 25 alterations or substitutions to provisions of the Constitution, which he read out to the House.
These include sections 84, 89, 121, 124, 129, 153, 157, 158, 160, 197, 201, 202 and 204; Chapter VI, Part III; the substitution of sections 214, 215 and 216; the insertion of a new Section 317A; the alteration of Section 318; and amendments to the Second, Third and Fifth schedules.
Following the reading, a vote was taken, with the lawmakers all indicating support by raising their hands.
Announcing the outcome, the Speaker said the clerk had counted the votes, with 25 members in favour, none against, and no abstentions.
“By this voting, the 10th Assembly of Rivers State is fully in support of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Fifth Alteration) Bill, 2022,” Amaewhule declared.
He said the Assembly fully supports the Federal Executive Council, headed by President Tinubu, in ensuring that the security of lives and property remains a top priority for all levels of government.
“Anything that needs to be done towards ensuring that our people are properly protected, so that people can move freely, stay in their houses, go about their normal businesses without fear or hindrance by anybody or group of persons, will continue to be our top priority,” he said.
The Speaker described the introduction of police at the sub-national level to complement the federal police as a welcome development.
“We believe in this 10th Assembly of Rivers State that everybody needs to work together. We don’t expect that there will be any state assembly that will say no to this particular effort, so that everybody can begin to work in tandem for our people to heave a sigh of relief,” he said.
He thanked the lawmakers for casting what he called the right vote after consulting their constituents, noting that Nigerians have for years clamoured for police at the sub-national level to complement the efforts of the Federal Police.
Alteration Of Constitution
On September 16, 2026, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, officially forwarded the bill in compliance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The decision was also in line with Section 9 of the Constitution, which states that any proposed amendment passed by the National Assembly requires the concurrence via resolution of at least two-thirds (24 out of 36) of the State Houses of Assembly before it can be presented for presidential assent.
Although the Constitution sets no statutory deadline for state legislatures to return their votes, the National Assembly leadership established a 30-day administrative timeframe to encourage an orderly and timely conclusion to the alteration exercise.
The Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish a framework for decentralised policing, has so far received significant attention following presidential backing and the inauguration of a working group aimed at operationalising a dual policing structure in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, had said the reform was designed to bring policing closer to Nigerians while building safeguards that can make the system more effective and trusted.
