The Sokoto State House of Assembly has unanimously endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as the federal policing authority.
The decision followed a motion presented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mustapha Abdullahi (APC-Sokoto South II), during plenary on Tuesday in Sokoto.
While presenting the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, Abdullahi said the proposed legislation was designed to provide a constitutional basis for state policing and clearly distinguish the responsibilities of state and federal police authorities.
He explained that the bill had earlier been considered by the Senate on June 24 and the House of Representatives on July 23 before being forwarded to the Sokoto Assembly on September 22.
Under the proposed arrangement, the federal police would retain responsibility for interstate and international crimes, terrorism, cybercrime, border security, policing of the Federal Capital Territory and protection of federal government assets.
State police services, however, would be responsible for maintaining public order, protecting lives and property, enforcing laws and investigating offences within their respective jurisdictions.
Abdullahi said the proposed structure would allow federal and state police formations to operate alongside each other in every state.
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He added that the federal police could intervene in state policing operations when requested by a governor or when a security breakdown exceeded the capacity of the state police to manage.
The lawmaker further explained that each state police service would be headed by a State Commander of Police, to be appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the National Police Council and subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly.
The proposed amendment also provides for the establishment of a State Police Service Commission to supervise the recruitment, promotion and disciplinary procedures of personnel, excluding the State Commander.
On funding, Abdullahi said the commission would receive allocations directly from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund to guarantee its financial independence.
He noted that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to operate in the states until their respective police services became operational.
Citing Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, the lawmaker said the proposed amendment would require approval through resolutions passed by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Contributing to the debate, several lawmakers backed the proposal, arguing that state police would enable individual states to address their security challenges more effectively.
The Speaker, Alhaji Tukur Bala, who presided over the sitting, subsequently subjected the motion to a voice vote, during which all members unanimously supported its adoption.
