The Plateau State House of Assembly has backed the proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police in Nigeria, supporting the move as part of efforts to address the country’s security challenges.
The decision followed the adoption of recommendations by an ad-hoc committee of the House during Monday’s plenary session, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Naanlong Daniel.
Presenting the committee’s report, its chairman and member representing Qua’an-Pan South Constituency, Prof. Theodore Bala Maiyaki, said the proposed amendment was necessary in view of prevailing security challenges, manpower shortages in the Nigeria Police Force and the need to strengthen local policing arrangements.
He said the proposal seeks to establish a constitutional framework for federal and state police services, with safeguards covering human rights, operational standards, accountability and coordination.
The committee also noted that security was critical to the socioeconomic development of Plateau State and other parts of the country.
It consequently recommended that the House support the proposed constitutional alteration.Following deliberations, lawmakers adopted the recommendations and voted in support of the proposed amendment.
The proposal is contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16, 2026, for consideration and approval.
The proposed amendment forms part of wider efforts to decentralise policing in response to persistent security challenges across the country.
However, the Plateau Assembly’s endorsement does not, by itself, establish a state police service. The proposal must satisfy the applicable constitutional amendment requirements before it can take effect.
The constitutional amendment process requires approval by at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly, alongside the other applicable constitutional requirements.
Meanwhile, the House passed two bills for first reading: the Plateau State Right of Patients and Medical Institutions Bill and the Plateau State Bill on Jungle Justice, Mob Action and Other Forms of Unlawful Violence Against Persons.
The Assembly also resolved to proceed on recess from October 19 to November 10, 2026, with plenary expected to resume on November 10.
