Rivers Assembly backs constitutional amendment for state police

The Rivers State House of Assembly has endorsed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state policing in Nigeria. The endorsement followed the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, Sixth Alteration Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly. The state legislatures are expected to review and approve or reject the proposed amendment as part of the constitutional alteration process.

The supplied report did not provide details of the Rivers Assembly’s debate or the margin of approval. The bill concerns the creation of state police, an issue that has been debated in Nigeria in the context of policing responsibilities and security administration. The Rivers Assembly’s decision places it among the state legislatures considering the proposal.

Channels Television reported the endorsement and said further details would follow. The source material did not state the next steps for the bill or indicate how many other state assemblies had taken a position. The proposal would require the necessary constitutional approval process before any state-policing structure could be created.

The report did not include the bill’s specific provisions, proposed oversight arrangements, funding model or relationship with the Nigeria Police Force.