Twenty-four state Houses of Assembly have approved a proposed constitutional amendment to establish a dual policing system in Nigeria, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional alteration.

The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, October 23, 2026. The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeks to establish federal and state police services.

The working group commended the state assemblies and the National Assembly for passing the amendment, saying it could now be returned to the National Assembly for transmission to the President for assent, in line with Section 9 of the Constitution.

It added that the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, was undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice and was expected to be returned by October 30, before final consideration by the group and presentation to the President.

The bill was transmitted to the 36 state assemblies on September 16 for consideration. As of October 21, 10 states had reportedly approved it, before the latest announcement raised the number to 24. The proposed reform is intended to provide constitutional backing for state police alongside the Federal Police Service, with the working group urging stakeholders to support its implementation.