Market News

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, Nov 3 (Reuters) – A constitutional amendment to establish state police forces in Nigeria has secured approval from 28 state legislatures, exceeding the threshold required for constitutional change and bringing the proposed reform closer to becoming law, the National Assembly said on Tuesday.

The reform would represent one of the most significant changes to Nigeria's security framework in recent years, allowing individual states to establish and control their own police forces in a country where policing is currently managed by a single federal force.

The 28 approvals exceed the constitutional requirement of 24 states, equivalent to two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states.

National Assembly Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana said the legislature had verified the authenticity of the approvals and the accompanying legislative records.

The legislation will now be prepared for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

Supporters of the reform argue that establishing state police forces would improve responses to local security threats by decentralising policing powers and allowing state authorities to address security challenges within their jurisdictions.

Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Gareth Jones.

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