The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a bill supporting the establishment of state police in Nigeria, backing efforts to decentralise the country’s security architecture and strengthen responses to threats at the grassroots.
The lawmakers adopted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, as passed by the National Assembly, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Somtochukwu Udeze.
The bill was adopted through a voice vote following its consideration and three readings in one sitting, according to the report.
Speaking after the exercise, Udeze said the House had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility and directed the Clerk to transmit the resolution to the National Assembly.
He explained that the proposed amendment seeks to establish a constitutional framework for state police services, subject to the provisions of the Constitution and national minimum policing standards prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
The framework also provides safeguards for civilian oversight, human rights protection, an independent Police Service Commission, intergovernmental cooperation, criminal information systems and firearms control.
It further provides for exceptional federal intervention in state policing where there is a breakdown of policing, serious incapacity, threats to national security or egregious abuses.
The Majority Leader of the House, Ikenna Ofodeme, described state police as necessary, arguing that many security challenges originate at the grassroots and require prompt, locally coordinated responses.
Ofodeme dismissed concerns that state police could be abused, insisting that decentralised policing would enable state authorities to respond more quickly to emerging threats instead of waiting for directives from the Inspector-General of Police.
According to him, the arrangement would strengthen the fight against insecurity while creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
He also argued that state police could reduce the burden on the military, which is frequently deployed to support the police in tackling internal security challenges.
The lawmaker proposed that local vigilantes could be integrated into the policing structure after receiving appropriate training, potentially improving community-level intelligence gathering and security operations.
He maintained that bringing policing closer to the people would improve response times and enable security agencies to better understand the peculiar challenges confronting individual communities.
The passage of the bill by the Anambra Assembly adds to the debate over state police and constitutional reforms aimed at addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
However, the proposed framework places emphasis on safeguards, including human rights protection, civilian oversight and minimum national standards, to guide the operation of state police services.
The development underscores the growing attention being given to decentralised policing as Nigeria continues to explore measures to improve public safety and strengthen security at the community level.
