By Yahaya Idris
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly is set to consider the proposed State Police Bill when lawmakers resume plenary on Monday, September 28, 2026.
Speaker Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, Ph.D., disclosed this on Tuesday in Lafia while addressing journalists.
The Speaker confirmed that the Assembly had received the bill from the Clerk of the National Assembly on Friday, September 18.
“Yes, we are in receipt of the State Police Bill from the Clerk of the National Assembly. We received it last Friday,” Jatau said.
He added that lawmakers would study the proposal and take the necessary legislative steps.
“We will go through it when we resume on Monday. We will look at it and do the needful.”
The proposed legislation is part of the constitutional alteration process for the establishment of State Police Services.
The National Assembly transmitted the Sixth Alteration Bill, 2026 to all 36 State Houses of Assembly on September 16.
Why State Assemblies Are Involved
State Houses of Assembly have a constitutional role in the alteration of the 1999 Constitution. Under Section 9(2), a constitutional alteration requires approval by resolutions of the Houses of Assembly of not less than two-thirds of all the states, after securing the required majority in the National Assembly.
This means that at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly must approve the proposal for it to clear the state-legislature stage.
The current Constitution, under Section 214, establishes the Nigeria Police Force and provides that no other police force shall be established for the Federation or any part of it, subject to the Constitution.
Consequently, the State Police proposal requires constitutional alteration rather than an ordinary state law.
The National Assembly has said the transmission of the bill represents the next stage of the constitutional amendment process, while the state legislatures are expected to consider the proposal according to their respective legislative procedures.