The Rivers State House of Assembly has thrown its weight behind the bill for the creation of state police in Nigeria.
This comes after the National Assembly sent the 1999 Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 to the 36 state assemblies for consideration and approval.
The bill moves Nigeria from a single national police model to a dual police system comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
Recall that some State Houses of Assembly have thrown their weight behind the creation of State Police, including Ogun and Nasarawa States.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, on September 16, 2026,
officially forwarded the bill in compliance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
It was 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.
The National Assembly leadership established a 30-day administrative timeframe to encourage an orderly and timely conclusion to the alteration exercise.
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.
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