Nigeria has taken a step towards creating state-level police forces, after lawmakers sent a constitutional amendment to all 36 state assemblies for approval.

The Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill 2026 would create state police services alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force. It needs the backing of at least 24 states, a two-thirds majority, to become law. It is the first of several proposed constitutional changes to reach the states.

National Assembly Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana said the move reflected public demand for better security.

Policing is currently run centrally. Governors are blamed politically when security fails, but have little operational control over the police.

International Christian Concern, a US-based group that campaigns for persecuted Christians, said state police could make law enforcement more responsive to attacks on communities in northern and central Nigeria. It said Christian communities there have reported slow responses to attacks, but warns the change alone won't guarantee better protection without proper oversight and safeguards against political abuse.

Critics fear state forces could be used against political opponents, protesters or minorities, and questions remain over funding, training and coordination with federal agencies.

Nigeria's more than 200 million people are roughly split between Christians and Muslims. Christians in the north and Middle Belt have faced attacks by Boko Haram, its offshoot ISWAP, armed herder militias and bandits, with churches burned and thousands killed. Muslims and other civilians have also been victims. Motives are disputed, as religion, land and crime overlap, and the government denies targeting Christians.