Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says state police operations could begin before the end of 2026 or in the first quarter of 2027, following approval of the proposed constitutional amendment by 24 state Houses of Assembly.
Sanwo-Olu spoke yesterday, October 23, 2026, at the unveiling of the Kessington Adebutu Security Trust Fund Building in Ikeja, Lagos, where he described state police as long overdue.
According to The Punch in a report published today, October 24, 2026, the governor said Lagos was ready to establish what he described as the best state police outfit in the country once the necessary approvals were secured.
He said the Lagos State Security Trust Fund would play a greater role in providing funding, logistics and operational support for the proposed police service.
Sanwo-Olu also assured serving police officers that the transition would be managed to prevent disruption to security operations and address concerns about possible job losses.
The governor’s remarks followed an announcement by the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill that 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly had approved the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026.
In a statement dated October 23, 2026, the working group’s chairman, Femi Gbajabiamila, who is also Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, said the approvals met the two-thirds threshold required under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution.
The group commended the state assemblies and the National Assembly for advancing the proposed reform, which seeks to establish a dual policing system comprising federal and state police services.
According to the working group’s statement, the amendment can now return to the National Assembly for transmission to President Tinubu for assent.
However, the approval by the state assemblies does not mean state police operations can begin immediately. Further constitutional and legislative steps, including the completion of the legal framework for the proposed system, remain necessary.
The working group said the draft National Policing Bill, 2026, and related bills were undergoing legislative drafting review and validation at the Federal Ministry of Justice. The documents were expected to be returned on or before Friday, October 30, 2026, for final consideration before presentation to the President.
For Lagos, the proposed timeline will depend on the completion of the outstanding legal processes and the state’s preparations for establishing and funding its police service.
The reform is intended to give states greater responsibility for addressing local security challenges while maintaining a federal policing structure. Its implementation will require clear rules on funding, accountability, operational powers and coordination between federal and state authorities.
