Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Jigawa State House of Assembly has received the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, transmitted by the National Assembly, and has pledged to give it timely consideration, becoming one of the states now formally considering the proposed amendment that would permit the establishment of State Police Services across the country.
The bill was laid before the Assembly on Friday, September 26, 2026, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin. The Speaker read the letter from the National Assembly, which requested the 36 State Houses of Assembly to deliberate on and approve the proposed alteration in accordance with the provisions of Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution. The bill seeks to alter the Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and for related matters, a proposal that has generated intense national debate since the National Assembly passed it on June 24, 2026.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, had clarified in a statement that the State Police Bill was the only constitutional amendment proposal so far forwarded to the states, following reports suggesting that all the Constitution Alteration Bills before the National Assembly had been transmitted. He said the decision to prioritise the State Police Bill was in response to widespread public demands and concerns over security and policing in the country, a position that reflects the persistent calls by governors, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and security experts for a decentralised policing architecture.
Receiving the bill, Speaker Dangyatin said the Assembly would follow due legislative process, including referral to the relevant committee and engagement with stakeholders, to ensure that the state’s position on the amendment was informed by the views of its constituents. “This is a matter that touches on the security and welfare of our people. We will not rush it, but we will not delay it either,” he said. The Speaker directed the House Committee on Judiciary, Justice and Constitutional Matters to review the bill and report back within a timeframe that would allow the Assembly to meet the deadline set by the National Assembly. He said the Assembly was mindful of the fact that at least 24 of the 36 states must approve the amendment for it to pass, and that Jigawa would play its part in the process.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Lawal Ismaila, moved the motion for the bill to be read the first time, and the motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Hon. Musa Abubakar. Lawmakers across party lines spoke in support of the bill, citing the security challenges facing Jigawa State, particularly along its borders with Yobe, Bauchi, Kano and the Republic of Niger. They noted that the state had experienced incidents of banditry, cattle rustling, kidnapping and farmer-herder clashes in recent years, and argued that a state-controlled police force would improve response times, enhance local intelligence gathering and bring security closer to rural communities. “The federal police alone cannot be everywhere. We need a force that understands our terrain, our language and our people,” one lawmaker said during the debate.
The bill’s passage at the state level is not automatic. The proposed amendment has drawn opposition from some governors and civil society groups who fear that state police could be weaponised against political opponents, used to entrench impunity, or become a tool for the harassment of citizens by powerful state executives. Those concerns were reflected in the public hearings conducted by the National Assembly, where stakeholders urged the inclusion of safeguards to ensure that state police forces operate within the framework of the Constitution and respect human rights. The National Assembly has said the amendment includes provisions for oversight mechanisms, including independent complaints commissions and the involvement of the Police Service Commission in the appointment and discipline of state police chiefs.
Jigawa State’s security landscape provides context for the Assembly’s consideration of the bill. The state has been relatively more stable than some of its neighbours in the North-West, but it has faced incursions by armed groups, particularly in border local government areas. In August 2026, the state government said it had strengthened security cooperation with the Federal Government and neighbouring states, including joint patrols and intelligence sharing. The Speaker said the Assembly would engage the state government, traditional rulers, community leaders and security agencies before taking a final position on the amendment, to ensure that the state’s specific needs were reflected in the implementation framework.
The Assembly’s decision to give the bill timely consideration was welcomed by civil society organisations in the state. The Jigawa chapter of the Civil Liberties Organisation said it supported the establishment of state police in principle but urged the Assembly to insist on strong accountability mechanisms. “We want a state police that is professional, accountable and responsive to the needs of the people, not one that serves the interests of the powerful,” the organisation’s coordinator said. The organisation called for a public hearing to allow citizens to contribute to the process, and urged the Assembly to ensure that the final legislation includes provisions for community oversight, transparent recruitment and human rights training.
The bill will now proceed to the House Committee on Judiciary, Justice and Constitutional Matters, which is expected to review it and report back to the Committee of the Whole. If approved by the Assembly, the resolution will be forwarded to the National Assembly, where it will be collated with decisions from other state legislatures. For the amendment to succeed, it must be approved by at least 24 states, reflecting the two-thirds requirement for constitutional alteration. Once approved by the requisite number of states, the bill will be returned to the National Assembly for final approval and then transmitted to the President for assent, paving the way for the establishment of state police in line with the directives of President Bola Tinubu.
For the people of Jigawa State, the Assembly’s consideration of the bill represents an opportunity to shape the security architecture that will govern their communities for years to come. The coming weeks will determine whether the Assembly moves quickly enough to meet the national timeline, and whether the final legislation reflects the balance between security effectiveness and the safeguards necessary to prevent abuse. As Speaker Dangyatin put it, the Assembly will not rush the bill, but it will not delay it either, because the security of the people of Jigawa State cannot wait.
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