The Delta State House of Assembly has approved a proposed alteration to the 1999 Constitution aimed at paving the way for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.
All 23 members present reportedly voted in favour of the proposal, reflecting support within the assembly for the constitutional process required to enable states to establish their own police forces.
The decision comes amid continuing national discussions about the structure of Nigeria’s security architecture and calls for greater decentralisation of policing responsibilities.
Supporters of state police argue that state governments would be better positioned to understand local security challenges and respond more quickly to incidents within their jurisdictions. They also contend that decentralised policing could improve intelligence gathering and strengthen community-level security operations.
However, the proposal has also raised concerns about the potential for political interference, human rights abuses and the misuse of state-controlled security agencies against political opponents.
The approval by the Delta assembly forms part of the wider constitutional amendment process. A state assembly’s endorsement of a proposed alteration does not, by itself, establish state police or bring the new system into operation.
Any constitutional change must satisfy the applicable legislative and approval requirements before it can take effect.
The development adds Delta State to the ongoing national debate over whether a decentralised policing structure could provide a more effective response to Nigeria’s diverse security challenges.