STATE POLICE: Tinubu scales constitutional hurdles

...NASS verifies approval by 28 states …Presidency tasks OPS to develop financing framework ..Constitution amendment must protect IGP, CPs from abuse — Okiro By Clifford Ndujihe & Gift Odekina LAGOS — After months of legislative action, the National Assembly is set to transmit the State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent. Vanguard gathered yesterday that the federal lawmakers will transmit the bill between now and next week.

At the last count, no fewer than 30 of the 36 states houses of assembly in the country had approved the bill, which exceeds the constitutionally-required threshold of 24 states, representing two-thirds of the 36 state legislatures, paving the way for transmission of the bill to President Tinubu for assent. Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed yesterday that NASS had received reports from 28 state legislatures and verified their respective votes and proceedings.

According to him, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, which seeks to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters, was transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval. The state legislatures were initially given 30 days, ending October 15, to communicate their decisions to the National Assembly.

However, Ogunlana said his office will continue to receive reports from the state houses of assembly until the bill is transmitted for presidential assent. He said: “Following receipt and verification of the reports, the office confirms that 28 State Houses of Assembly have approved the Bill. “This represents more than the constitutionally-prescribed threshold of not less than two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, equivalent to 24 states, as required under Section 9 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.” The clerk explained that the National Assembly had undertaken administrative verification of the reports and accompanying votes and proceedings to establish their authenticity and ensure they accurately reflected decisions taken by the respective state legislatures.

He also clarified that Section 9 of the Constitution did not expressly prescribe a Third Reading for a Constitution Alteration Bill, unlike the procedure applicable to ordinary bills. Presidency tasks OPS to develop financing framework Last week, the Presidency, which also raised a committee headed by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, requested the Organised Private Sector, OPS, to develop a financing and implementation blueprint for the proposed State Police system.

It said businesses have compelling reasons to support the reform because insecurity imposed costs beyond private security expenditure, including abandoned investments, delayed expansion and disrupted commercial activities. During a plenary session on “security, stability and economic resilience” at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Gbajabiamila said insecurity is driving away investments, disrupting supply chains, delaying factory expansions and undermining employment opportunities.

He urged business leaders to engage governors and legislators, contribute expertise in institutional management, expenditure control and risk assessment, and identify security failures preventing viable investments. 28 states that have okayed state police The 28 states that have approved the proposed establishment of state police are Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers Taraba, Zamfara, Imo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Enugu, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Abia, Yobe, Kaduna, Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, and Ebonyi Constitution amendment must protect IGP, CPs from abuse — Okiro Meanwhile, former Inspector-General of Police and one-time Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro, has offered suggestions on safeguards against possible abuse of state police by state governors.

With the backing of more than 30 state legislatures, if the amendment receives presidential assent, the dual police structure will come into effect. Okiro said from then on, state governments will have to fund police forces in their states, stressing that they had, afterall, been supporting the Nigeria Police Force all these years. Okiro said: “As a Commissioner of Police in Lagos and Benue states, and later as the IGP, I can attest to the operational and funding support given to the Police by state governments.

A number of them purchase patrol vehicles for most of the state, area commands and divisions in their respective states. “Some, like Lagos, have set up State Security Trust Funds for this purpose. So, I have no doubt in my mind that they will do this effectively. “Lagos State, which established Operation Sweep 30 years ago, has demonstrated that it is possible.

It has the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, a state-of-the-art surveillance system, as well as a world-class Forensic Analysis Centre. “For ove