By Ade Oyeyemi
The Ondo State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria, with lawmakers expressing confidence that decentralised policing would help tackle the country’s worsening security challenges.
The bill, known as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was approved during plenary on Monday, with all members present voting in support.
Ondo’s endorsement comes after reports that 24 state assemblies had already met the constitutional threshold for the proposed amendment, which seeks to introduce a dual policing system in the country.
Leading the debate, the House Leader, Olatunji Oshati, said the lawmakers had carefully considered the proposed reform and its potential impact on security across the country.
He maintained that allowing states to establish their own police services would help address the numerous security threats confronting Nigeria.
The motion for the bill’s passage was seconded by Allen Oluwatoyin, representing Ese-Odo constituency.
The Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, described the introduction of state police as long overdue, arguing that the arrangement would enable security agencies to respond more swiftly to criminal activities and other threats.
Oladiji also said the proposed system could improve intelligence gathering and encourage preventive measures against crime, while thanking lawmakers for their contributions to the bill’s passage.
He subsequently directed the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jayeola, to forward the approved bill and the Assembly’s observations to the National Assembly for further legislative action.
