Cross River Assembly Begins State Police Bill Debate

The Cross River State House of Assembly has begun considering a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the establishment of State Police Services across Nigeria, following the transmission of the bill by the National Assembly.

The proposed amendment seeks to create a constitutional basis for state-owned police services in the 36 states while maintaining the Nigeria Police Force as the country’s federal police service.

The National Assembly forwarded the bill, along with the relevant votes, proceedings and other documents connected to the proposed constitutional alteration, to the state legislature for consideration.

During plenary, lawmakers considered the correspondence from the National Assembly and approved that the documents be formally received and presented before the House.

The Assembly subsequently adopted the proposed constitutional amendment as a working document to guide further legislative consideration.

Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, said the bill would go through the required legislative process, including detailed consideration and debate, before the lawmakers decide their position.

The bill was thereafter subjected to First Reading, formally opening the process of legislative consideration in Cross River State.

The proposed amendment is part of the wider constitutional review process being handled by the National Assembly. The process requires state Houses of Assembly to consider the proposal as part of the steps towards establishing State Police Services in Nigeria.

The National Assembly transmitted the constitutional amendment bill to the 36 state legislatures on September 16, 2026, giving them a 30-day administrative period to consider and communicate their resolutions. Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly, representing 24 states, must approve a constitutional amendment of this nature before the process can proceed to the next stage.

Cross River is among the states where lawmakers have now started formal consideration of the proposal, as state assemblies across the country continue to examine the plan for a decentralised policing system.