RIVERS ASSEMBLY BACKS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR STATE POLICE

The Rivers State House of Assembly has unanimously approved the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services in Nigeria.

All 25 members of the Assembly voted in favour of the bill during plenary on Monday, September 28, 2026, following consultations with their constituents.

The Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, said the decision reflected the Assembly’s support for efforts to strengthen security through policing at the subnational level.

He said the proposed amendment would create a constitutional framework for establishing state police while retaining the Federal Police Service and providing for national minimum policing standards.

The bill, transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly by the National Assembly on September 16, is part of the constitutional amendment process for creating State Police Services.

Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before it can proceed to the President for assent.

Rivers is the third state Assembly to publicly approve the proposal, following similar decisions by the Osun and Edo State Houses of Assembly earlier in September.

The proposed system is intended to complement the existing federal police structure, with the constitutional amendment also providing for national standards and continued federal policing responsibilities.