State Police: Kogi Yet to Approve Bill as 24 States Meet Constitutional Threshold

Kogi remains among 12 states whose approval of the state police constitutional amendment is still being awaited, even as 24 state Houses of Assembly have reportedly endorsed the proposal.

The development places attention on the Kogi State House of Assembly’s position as the reform secures the two-thirds state endorsement threshold required for constitutional alteration.

According to Vanguard’s report published on Friday, October 23, Kogi was absent from the list of approving states. The report did not provide a reason for its pending decision or a timetable for consideration.

Kogi’s position remains pending

The outstanding approval leaves an important question for the Assembly: when will it conclude consideration and communicate its position on the proposed policing framework?

Being listed among states awaiting approval does not establish that Kogi lawmakers have rejected the bill. No explanation establishing opposition to the proposal was provided in the report.

The issue has particular relevance to Kogi’s security priorities, following incidents involving kidnapping, illegal arms and attacks on communities.

The Bureau Journal has previously reported on the interception of an arms cache during a security operation and the rescue of kidnapped victims in Itobe.

Approval threshold reached

The 24 approving states listed in the report are Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba and Zamfara.

Others are Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Abia, Yobe and Kaduna.

Alongside Kogi, the states whose decisions were being awaited are Lagos, Ondo, Ebonyi, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano and Sokoto.

The reported endorsements meet the state-level numerical requirement. That milestone does not, by itself, mean state police services have become operational; the remaining constitutional and implementation processes must still be completed.

Local security concerns give debate practical importance

Supporters of state police argue that decentralised policing could improve local intelligence and responses to community threats. The proposed framework also raises questions about funding, oversight and safeguards against political interference.

In Kogi, those issues sit alongside existing legislative and operational responses, including Assembly proposals targeting terrorists and other criminals.

Previous incidents, including the abduction of passengers from three buses on a Kogi highway and operations to rescue abducted travellers, underline the public interest in effective policing arrangements.

For Kogi residents, the immediate legislative issue is the Assembly’s outstanding position and the explanation it provides for its decision when deliberations conclude.