The Ondo State House of Assembly has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police services across Nigeria, in a move aimed at strengthening security and improving responses to crime.
The bill, known as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, passed its second and third readings during plenary, with all lawmakers present supporting the proposed amendment.
Moving the motion for its passage, the House Leader, Olatunji Oshati, said the lawmakers had carefully considered the implications of the proposed amendment, noting that state policing could help address the country’s persistent security challenges. The motion was seconded by Allen Oluwatoyin, who represents Ese-Odo Constituency.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, described the establishment of state police as long overdue, saying the system would strengthen intelligence gathering, enable faster responses to security threats and support proactive measures against criminal activities.
Oladiji commended members for their contributions to the bill’s passage and directed the Clerk of the House to forward the document, alongside the Assembly’s observations, to the National Assembly.
The development comes amid growing calls for constitutional reforms to decentralise policing in Nigeria. According to Thefrontrank, 24 State Houses of Assembly approved the proposed amendment last week, meeting the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional alteration. The proposal seeks to introduce a dual policing system in which state police would operate alongside the existing federal police structure.
