The Delta State House of Assembly has unanimously approved a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution seeking to establish State Police Services in Nigeria, with all 23 lawmakers present voting in favour.
The approval, given during Tuesday’s plenary, marks Delta State’s formal endorsement of the proposal being considered by State Houses of Assembly as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process initiated by the National Assembly.
The proposed alteration seeks to create a constitutional framework that would allow states to establish and finance their own police services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as the federal policing institution.
Speaker of the House, Emomotimi Guwor, presented a letter from the National Assembly outlining the objectives of the proposed amendment before lawmakers opened debate on the measure.
Leading the debate, the Leader of the House, Emeka Nwaobi, urged his colleagues to support the proposal, arguing that a decentralised policing system would strengthen the capacity of states to protect lives and property.
Nwaobi said empowering states to establish and fund their own police services would create a dual policing structure capable of responding more effectively to security challenges peculiar to individual communities.
He maintained that local knowledge and quicker intervention could prove critical in addressing security threats, particularly at the grassroots, where delays in response could undermine efforts to prevent or contain criminal activities.
Other lawmakers who contributed to the debate supported the amendment, saying State Police would enhance intelligence gathering, improve response times to security incidents and strengthen efforts to tackle crime and insecurity at the community level.
They also argued that the proposed arrangement could create employment opportunities while providing states with security personnel familiar with their local terrain and communities.
At the conclusion of the debate, the proposal was put to a vote, with all 23 lawmakers present endorsing the amendment.
Guwor commended members for their unanimous support, expressing confidence that the proposed constitutional change would strengthen community-level policing and improve security across Delta State.
The Speaker said the establishment of State Police could bring policing closer to the people and improve the ability of security authorities to gather intelligence and respond promptly to emerging threats.
The renewed push for State Police comes amid longstanding concerns over Nigeria’s security challenges and repeated calls for the decentralisation of the country’s policing structure.
Under the current constitutional arrangement, the Nigeria Police Force operates as a federally controlled institution, leaving states without constitutionally established police services despite their substantial involvement in funding and supporting security operations within their territories.
Governors and other proponents of State Police have argued that Nigeria’s population, geographical size and differing security challenges require a policing structure that gives states greater responsibility for security within their jurisdictions.
The debate has intensified amid persistent cases of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other crimes across parts of the country, increasing pressure for security reforms that would strengthen policing at the grassroots.
Concerns have, however, persisted over safeguards against possible abuse of State Police by governors, particularly the risk of using such forces against political opponents or other perceived adversaries.
The proposed constitutional amendment is expected to provide the legal framework for the creation and operation of State Police Services alongside the federal police structure.
The Delta Assembly’s endorsement also comes as the Federal Government moves ahead with a broader overhaul of Nigeria’s policing framework.
The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has completed and submitted the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, alongside 29 consequential amendment bills, for legal review.
The initiative is aimed at developing the legislative framework required for a restructured policing system should the constitutional amendments necessary for State Police take effect.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, proposed constitutional alterations require the prescribed supermajority in the National Assembly as well as approval by resolutions of at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly — 24 states — before completing the constitutional process.
Delta’s 23-0 vote, therefore, adds the state’s endorsement to the wider legislative process that will ultimately determine whether Nigeria moves from its longstanding centralised policing arrangement to a system permitting federal and state police services to operate side by side.
