Yobe Assembly approves the proposed State Police Service and 25 other constitutional amendment bills as Nigeria considers security reforms
Yobe Assembly Approves State Police Proposal, 25 Other Bills
By Newsheadline247
The Yobe State House of Assembly has approved the proposed establishment of a State Police Service alongside 25 other constitutional amendment bills transmitted by the National Assembly for consideration by state legislatures.
The approval followed deliberations by lawmakers during plenary on 26 proposed alterations to the 1999 Constitution, signalling the assembly’s support for changes to various provisions of the nation’s supreme law, including a proposal to allow states to establish their own police services.
Speaking on the resolutions, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chiroma Buba Mashio, said the bills had been forwarded to state legislatures to enable them to consider and vote on the proposed amendments in line with constitutional requirements.
Mashio explained that the proposed State Police Service would provide a constitutional framework for states to operate their own police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.
He described the proposal as a significant part of ongoing national discussions on security sector reform, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to tackle emerging security challenges.
The Speaker noted that the proposed constitutional alterations formed part of a broader legislative process requiring state assemblies to consider and approve the amendments in accordance with the provisions governing constitutional changes.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, an alteration generally requires the support of at least two-thirds of all state Houses of Assembly, in addition to the required approval by the National Assembly, before it can become law. Certain provisions require a higher threshold.
The Yobe Assembly’s approval therefore represents one step in the wider constitutional amendment process and does not, by itself, establish a State Police Service in the state.
The proposal has remained a prominent issue in Nigeria’s security reform debate, with advocates calling for a more decentralised policing structure that could respond more effectively to local security concerns while complementing the federal police system.
If ultimately adopted through the constitutional amendment process, the proposal would create a legal basis for states to establish their own police services, potentially reshaping policing responsibilities and security coordination across the country.
