Nigeria Edges Toward State Police as Rivers Becomes Third State to Back It
Nigeria · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, with about 238 million people. Its economy was worth about US$250 billion in 2024, roughly Greece’s size, according to the World Bank.
- —Why it matters Nigeria’s 36 states share one national police force, run from the capital, Abuja. Critics say it cannot cope with kidnapping, banditry and insurgency across a country larger than Texas.
- —Why now The National Assembly, Nigeria’s federal parliament, sent the state police amendment to all 36 state assemblies on 16 September 2026. It asked them to respond within 30 days.
- —What happened On Monday 28 September, all 25 Rivers State lawmakers present voted for the amendment. None voted against and none abstained.
- —The numbers Osun voted first and Edo second, making Rivers the third state. At least 24 of 36 state assemblies must approve before the president can sign.
- —What it means for you Nothing changes on the ground yet. The federal Nigeria Police Force stays in charge until any state force is certified operational.
- —Still open A lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenges how the House of Representatives passed the bill. Most states, including Kano, have not voted.
Rivers has become the third of Nigeria’s 36 states to back state-run police, a central plank of President Bola Tinubu’s security plans.
Nigeria’s state police bill won its third state endorsement on Monday 28 September 2026. The Rivers State House of Assembly voted 25 to none in favour. Rivers is an oil-producing state in the Niger Delta, whose capital, Port Harcourt, is a hub for the energy industry.
Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, yet it has a single national police force controlled from Abuja. The amendment would let states run their own police services, a change Tinubu has pushed as an answer to widespread insecurity.
What the Rivers State vote means
The measure is formally called the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026. It would create a constitutional framework for state police services alongside the federal force.
Under the proposal, the federal Nigeria Police Force remains the default service until a state force is lawfully established and certified operational. The Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, said it also sets safeguards on civilian control, human rights and minimum policing standards.
Amaewhule told members that no debate was allowed: they could only accept or reject the text sent by the National Assembly. Lawmakers voted by a show of hands, and the clerk recorded 25 in favour, none against and no abstentions.
The vote was reported by The Sun, ThisDay, Punch and Daily Trust, among other Nigerian newspapers. Rivers followed Osun, the first state to approve, and Edo, the second.
Tinubu’s security-reform agenda gains momentum
President Tinubu has made state police a signature goal. On 26 February 2026, he urged senators to amend the constitution to allow state police, citing insecurity.
In June 2026, he sent a constitutional amendment bill on state police to the Senate, the upper house. After both chambers of the National Assembly approved it, the bill went to the states on 16 September.
The push reflects frustration with the federal force, which critics describe as overstretched and poorly equipped for local threats. Supporters argue that locally controlled forces could gather better intelligence and respond faster in remote communities.
The constitutional arithmetic
Changing Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution is deliberately difficult. Under Section 9, an amendment passed by the National Assembly must also win the approval of at least two-thirds of state assemblies.
That means at least 24 of the 36 assemblies must vote yes before the amendment goes to the president for assent. The National Assembly has given state legislatures a 30-day administrative time frame to consider it.
Other states are moving at different speeds. In Kano, one of Nigeria’s most populous states, the assembly read the bill on Monday and sent it to committee.
For investors and companies in Nigeria, the debate matters because insecurity weighs on farming, mining and oil operations in rural areas. A more responsive policing model could lower those risks, though building new forces would take years and money.
Who gains and who loses from decentralised policing
State governors stand to gain the most, because the reform would give them direct control over security forces in their territory. That prospect has long raised fears that governors could use police against political opponents.
The federal force would lose its monopoly on formal policing. Yet the design, which keeps the federal service as the default until state forces are certified, points to a gradual shift.
For ordinary Nigerians, the outcome is less certain. Supporters expect faster responses to local threats, while sceptics warn that poorly funded state forces could become tools of political patronage.
The legal challenge and the wider picture
The bill also faces a court test. A civil society group and three other plaintiffs have gone to the Federal High Court in Abuja. They want the House of Representatives’ vote declared void.
They argue that a two-thirds majority must be shown through individual votes rather than a voice vote. The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/2191/2026, had not been assigned to a judge by Friday 25 September.
Security is also central to how foreign partners, including Brazil and other members of the BRICS group, judge risk in Nigeria. That theme runs through our coverage of Africa: The New Scramble.
For Tinubu, delivering the reform before the 2027 general election would give him a concrete security achievement to show voters.
What to watch next
The key number is 24. Watch how many assemblies vote before the 30-day window closes in mid-October, and whether any reject the change.
The other test is the court case in Abuja. Even if enough states approve, a ruling against the House vote could delay or complicate the reform.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Rivers State Assembly vote on?
On 28 September 2026, all 25 lawmakers present backed the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026. It would allow Nigeria’s states to set up their own police services.
How many state assemblies must approve the state police bill?
At least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state assemblies must approve it before it goes to the president for assent. Osun, Edo and Rivers had approved it by 28 September.
What happens to the federal Nigeria Police Force?
It remains the default policing service everywhere. A state force would take over local duties only once it is lawfully established and certified operational.
Connected Coverage
Sources
- The Sun: 25 Rivers lawmakers vote unanimously
- ThisDay: Rivers Assembly backs state police
- Vanguard: Rivers assembly endorses state police bill
- Punch: Rivers Assembly joins Osun, Edo in backing bill
- Daily Trust: Rivers passes bill, Kano begins deliberation
- Daily Trust: Lawsuit over the House vote
- Leadership: National Assembly transmits bill to states
- World Bank: Nigeria population and GDP
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