Lawmakers in Nigeria’s Anambra state endorsed a proposal Tuesday to let states establish police services, advancing a change that would shift some policing authority from federal to state governments.
BusinessDay reported that the Anambra State House of Assembly approved the presidency’s proposal after three readings at one sitting in Awka. Assembly Speaker Somtochukwu Udeze instructed the clerk to send the resolution to the National Assembly. The vote alone creates no state police service.
Under the proposal, the federal government would retain policing duties even after a state service begins operating. Until a state service meets national standards and receives certification, the Nigeria Police Force would remain the default police provider there. The framework also provides for civilian oversight, human rights protections and independent police service commissions.
Other provisions would govern the sharing of crime information and the control of firearms. Federal authorities could intervene on a limited basis if state policing breaks down or lacks capacity, or in response to national security threats or grave abuses.
Majority Leader Ikenna Ofodeme argued that state authorities could respond more quickly to local security threats. He said state policing could also ease demands on the military and bring properly trained vigilantes into community security work.
In a related step, the State House said a presidential working group sent the draft National Policing Bill (2026) and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice on Oct. 19. Those bills would provide a legal foundation for federal and state police services.
