State Police Bill: Sokoto Assembly Joins 27 Others

The Sokoto State House of Assembly has unanimously passed the State Police Bill, joining 27 other state legislatures backing the constitutional amendment to establish state police.

The bill was passed on Tuesday evening during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Tukur Bala Bodinga.

Bodinga, who confirmed the development to LEADERSHIP, said the House would soon issue an official statement on its decision.

“Yes, we have passed the bill yesterday. You will see the statement any moment from now,” he said.

The bill is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, transmitted by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for concurrence.

The motion was moved by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mustapha Abdullahi (APC – Sokoto South II).

Presenting the bill, Abdullahi said it seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish state police services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as the federal police.

He said the bill was transmitted by the executive, considered by the Senate on June 24 and the House of Representatives on July 23, and presented to the Sokoto Assembly on September 22.

Abdullahi explained that under the proposed framework, the federal police would handle interstate and international crimes, terrorism, cybercrime, border security, policing of the Federal Capital Territory and protection of federal assets.

He said state police services would be responsible for law enforcement, maintenance of public order and safety, protection of lives and property and investigation of local crimes.

He added that the head of a state police service would be known as the State Commander of Police, to be appointed by the governor on the recommendation of the National Police Council, subject to confirmation by the State House of Assembly.

He said a State Police Service Commission would be responsible for appointment, promotion and discipline of personnel and would receive funds directly from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund to ensure financial autonomy.

The passage brings the number of state assemblies that have endorsed the bill to 28, exceeding the constitutional requirement of 24 states, or two-thirds of the 36 assemblies, needed for alteration of the Constitution.

The development comes amid persistent security challenges in Sokoto and the North-West, where banditry, kidnapping and attacks on rural communities have disrupted farming and livelihoods.

Proponents argue that officers recruited from local communities would better understand the terrain and improve intelligence gathering.

The latest approvals were recorded in Kano, Sokoto, Ebonyi and Lagos on Tuesday, according to reports.