The Lagos State House of Assembly has unanimously supported the proposed establishment of state police, with Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa attaching conditions on state control and the protection of lawmakers. 

The Assembly cut short its recess on Tuesday to consider the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, which the National Assembly transmitted to state legislatures for concurrence under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

Describing the move as a step in the right direction, Obasa said state police had been a recurring issue from the fifth to the 10th Assembly, as successive legislatures weighed ways to strengthen security and protect lives and property. He said he was pleased the proposal was finally receiving attention, but stressed that concerns raised by state legislatures, especially on control and the relationship between federal and state policing, had to be properly addressed.

He expressed hope that further developments in the amendment process would give states greater control over their policing arrangements, and said the functions and responsibilities of state police should be clearly defined, with appropriate provisions for state legislatures.

The Speaker also pushed for a clear constitutional provision for parliamentary police, modelled on the arrangement in the United States, to protect legislative institutions and preserve their independence. He cited past incidents in which state legislative buildings were allegedly demolished or locked up at the instance of governors, arguing that a dedicated parliamentary police force would help prevent a repeat, strengthen state legislatures and safeguard democracy.

Obasa commended President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives for advancing the proposal, describing it as the realisation of a long-standing aspiration. After the House resolved to support the amendment, he directed the Clerk to forward the resolution to the National Assembly. Reports say Lagos joined 24 other state Houses of Assembly in approving the bill, which clears the path for presidential assent.

The amendment would create a two-tier policing structure made up of a Federal Police Service and State Police Services. President Tinubu has backed the reform and inaugurated a Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill to develop the legal framework. The draft National Policing Bill, 2026 and 29 consequential bills detailing the operational framework are currently undergoing drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice.