The Jigawa State House of Assembly has endorsed the State Police Bill, saying the time has come for states to take charge of their security.
2The endorsement was made on Tuesday during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Haruna Dangyatim, at the Assembly Complex in Dutse.
The National Assembly had on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, transmitted the Constitution Amendment Bill to all 36 state Houses of Assembly for concurrence, as required by law.
Speaking after deliberations on the bill, Dangyatim said the House had critically examined it and found it to be in the best interest of the people of Jigawa State and Nigeria.
He said the bill fell under the Sixth Alteration to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
“We have done the needful and endorsed the State Police Bill because our people need security that is close to them,” the Speaker said.
Dangyatim said the current centralised policing system had failed to address local security challenges, particularly in rural communities.
Speaking further to journalists, the Speaker said, “The Nigeria Police as presently constituted is overstretched. State Police will bring policing closer to the people and address our peculiar challenges.”
He said the Assembly acted within the 30-day window given to state Houses of Assembly to concur with the amendment.
The Speaker added that a special ad hoc committee was set up to study the proposed amendments and engage stakeholders before the House reached its decision.
According to him, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and professional bodies were consulted, and all supported the establishment of state police.
“We engaged widely and the message from our people is clear; they want State Police to complement the federal police,” Dangyatim said.
He stressed that transparency, patriotism and the interests of the people of Jigawa State guided the Assembly’s decision.
“We will not compromise the interest of Jigawa State and Nigeria at large. This endorsement is for the future of our democracy and the safety of our people,” the Speaker added.