RismadarVoice Reporters
October 21, 2026
The Ekiti State House of Assembly has approved the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services in Nigeria, joining other state legislatures supporting the decentralisation of policing across the country.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, received the support of all 21 lawmakers present during Wednesday’s plenary session.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a constitutional framework that would allow state governments to operate their own police services alongside a Federal Police Service.
In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Babatunde Oke, confirmed that the lawmakers had considered the bill and endorsed the proposed constitutional alteration.
Oke disclosed that the Speaker, Adeoye Aribasoye, directed the Clerk of the Assembly to transmit the approved document to the National Assembly, together with observations and recommendations made by the state legislature.
According to the statement, the Assembly’s Committee of the Whole examined the proposed amendments clause by clause before recommending their approval.
However, the lawmakers proposed an adjustment to Section 317A(5) to clarify the legislative powers of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly regarding security arrangements within their respective jurisdictions.
Speaking on the development, Aribasoye described the establishment of state police as an issue that had dominated national discussions for more than two decades.
He said Nigeria’s evolving security challenges required practical solutions capable of improving law enforcement and strengthening public confidence.
The Speaker identified delayed responses to emergencies, limited operational coverage and inadequate coordination between security agencies and local communities as challenges requiring urgent attention.
He maintained that a properly structured state policing system could improve accountability by bringing security administration and oversight closer to communities.
Aribasoye, however, emphasised the importance of constitutional safeguards to prevent abuse and ensure that state police institutions operate within the law.
The Assembly’s decision comes amid growing support for the proposed amendment, with several state legislatures already endorsing the establishment of state police.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, the proposed amendment must secure the approval of at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly, representing a minimum of 24 states.
The Ekiti Assembly’s endorsement does not immediately authorise the establishment of an operational state police service.
The proposal must complete the required constitutional amendment process before state governments can establish police institutions under the proposed framework.
