The Lagos State House of Assembly has unanimously supported the proposed establishment of state police, bringing the number of state assemblies backing the constitutional amendment to 25.
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa disclosed this on Tuesday during plenary, which lawmakers reconvened for after cutting short their recess to consider the Constitution Amendment Bill transmitted by the National Assembly.
Obasa said state police had remained a recurring issue from the fifth to the 10th assembly, with successive legislatures discussing ways to strengthen security and protect lives and property.
While welcoming the development, he said concerns remained over the proposed arrangement, particularly the need to clearly define the powers, control and responsibilities of federal and state police.
“The functions and responsibilities of state police should be clearly defined, with appropriate provisions made for state legislatures,” he said.
The speaker commended President Bola Tinubu, the Senate and the House of Representatives for advancing the proposal.
He also called for a constitutional provision establishing parliamentary police to protect legislative institutions and preserve their independence.
Obasa cited past incidents in which state legislative buildings were allegedly demolished or locked up at the instance of governors, saying such actions threatened legislative autonomy.
“There should also be provisions for parliamentary police, as we have in the United States Congress and at Westminster in the United Kingdom, to protect democracy and safeguard state legislatures,” he said.
He expressed confidence that outstanding concerns would be addressed as the constitutional amendment process progressed.
The House adjourned plenary until November 9, 2026.
The Lagos Assembly’s position comes after the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill announced on Friday that 24 state assemblies had approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
The group, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the approvals met the two-thirds threshold of 24 states required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution for constitutional amendments.
The National Assembly transmitted the bill to state assemblies on September 16, giving them a 30-day administrative window to communicate their positions.
With Lagos’s approval, 25 states have now backed the proposal, leaving 11 yet to formally communicate their positions.
