RismadarVoice Reporters
October 22, 2026
The Yobe State House of Assembly has approved the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services in Nigeria, adding its support to ongoing efforts to decentralise policing and strengthen internal security.
The decision was reached during plenary on Thursday, October 22, following the consideration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, transmitted to state legislatures by the National Assembly.
The proposed amendment seeks to create a constitutional framework that would allow individual states to establish and maintain their own police services alongside the federal policing structure.
Speaking during the legislative proceedings, the Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Chiroma Buba Mashio, explained that the proposal formed part of nationwide efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.
Mashio said the National Assembly had forwarded the constitutional alteration to state legislatures for consideration and approval in accordance with constitutional requirements.
According to him, the proposed state police system would provide a legal foundation for states to establish security institutions capable of responding more directly to local challenges.
The Speaker noted that decentralised policing had become an important subject in national discussions about tackling insecurity, particularly as communities continued to face different forms of criminal activity.
He maintained that strengthening the country’s policing structure was necessary to improve responses to emerging security threats.
The Yobe Assembly’s decision follows similar endorsements by several other state legislatures, including Cross River, Ogun, Delta, Rivers, Ekiti and Kwara.
Supporters of state policing argue that bringing law enforcement closer to communities could improve intelligence gathering, response times and local accountability.
However, concerns have also been raised about possible political interference, inadequate funding and the potential misuse of state-controlled security institutions.
These concerns have reinforced calls for constitutional safeguards, independent oversight and clear operational responsibilities between federal and state police services.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional alteration of this nature requires the approval of at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly, representing 24 states.
The bill must also complete the remaining constitutional procedures before any state police service can be legally established.
The National Assembly transmitted the proposal to state legislatures on September 16, 2026, requesting their resolutions as part of the constitutional amendment process.
With Yobe now endorsing the proposal, the push for state policing has gained additional legislative support.
Nevertheless, the Assembly’s approval does not mean that a Yobe State Police Service has been established or that recruitment and operational activities can immediately commence.
Implementation will depend on the successful completion of the constitutional amendment process and the enactment of the necessary enabling legislation.
