The Sokoto State House of Assembly unanimously passed the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, officially aligning the state legislature with the national consensus to establish state police services across Nigeria.
​The landmark resolution was adopted during plenary at the Sokoto State House of Assembly Complex in Sokoto. Presiding over the session, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tukur Bala, put the motion to a voice vote, which received unanimous backing from all lawmakers present.
​The legislative action seeks to amend Section 214 and related provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), paving the way to replace the existing single-structure police model with a decentralized, dual framework consisting of a Federal Police Service and individual State Police Services.
​Detailing the merits of the proposal during the plenary session, Hon. Bello Idris Abdullahi explained that the altered constitutional framework clearly delineates the operational boundaries between federal and state law enforcement agencies.
Under the new legislation, the Federal Police Service will maintain its jurisdiction over federal offenses, interstate crimes, and national security matters, whereas state police services will take direct responsibility for local law enforcement, public safety maintenance, protection of lives and property, and the investigation of local crimes within their jurisdictions.
​Hon. Abdullahi added that the bill empowers the state legislature to enact laws governing the administration, funding, and operational oversight of the local force.
Crucially, the legislation provides for the creation of a State Police Service Commission as an executive body tasked with overseeing the appointment, promotion, and discipline of state police personnel, excluding the state commander.
​Speaker Tukur Bala noted that the move comes amid heightened security challenges in the region, emphasizing that grassroots policing will significantly enhance intelligence gathering and enable faster, more tailored security responses to community-level crime.
​With this vote, Sokoto adds its ratifying vote to the growing majority of state legislatures across the federation that have adopted the Sixth Alteration Bill. Following the unanimous passage, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House to formally transmit the resolution and official documentation to the National Assembly for processing toward final presidential assent.
