Rivers Assembly Unanimously Endorses Constitutional Amendment For State Police

The Rivers State House of Assembly has unanimously endorsed the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services, becoming one of the state legislatures to formally consider the National Assembly’s proposal for a new policing structure in Nigeria.

The decision was reached during plenary after lawmakers considered the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, transmitted to the state legislature by the National Assembly.

All 25 members of the Rivers Assembly voted in favour of the proposed amendment.

The bill was presented before the House by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, following his reading of a communication from the Clerk to the National Assembly requesting the consideration of the proposed constitutional alterations.

After deliberations, the Speaker put the bill to a vote, with the lawmakers unanimously endorsing the proposed amendment.

The proposed constitutional alteration seeks to provide a legal and constitutional framework for the establishment and operation of State Police Services across the country.

The move is part of the ongoing national debate over the structure of Nigeria’s security architecture and calls for greater involvement of state authorities in policing and internal security.

The proposal also seeks to define the relationship between State Police Services and the existing Nigeria Police Force, which operates under the authority of the Federal Government.

The National Assembly has transmitted the constitutional amendment proposal to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration, as required by the Constitution.

Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, constitutional alterations require the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before they can progress to the next stage.

With 36 state legislatures in the country, the proposed amendment therefore requires the support of at least 24 Houses of Assembly.

The Rivers Assembly’s unanimous decision means the state has formally joined the constitutional process concerning the proposed creation of State Police Services.

The Assembly is expected to communicate its resolution to the National Assembly as part of the prescribed procedure for constitutional amendment.

The State Police proposal has featured prominently in discussions around security challenges in Nigeria, with proponents arguing that policing closer to communities could improve intelligence gathering, response to local security threats and coordination with communities.

The constitutional amendment process, however, still requires the required number of state legislatures to approve the proposal before it can advance to subsequent stages.

The position of the remaining state Houses of Assembly will therefore determine whether the proposed State Police framework secures the constitutional backing required for further consideration.