The Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish State Police Services across Nigeria, adding its support to ongoing efforts to decentralise the country’s policing system.
The bill, known as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, was approved during plenary on Wednesday, October 21, with all 21 lawmakers present voting in favour.
Following the passage, the Speaker of the Assembly, Adeoye Aribasoye, directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the bill to the National Assembly alongside the observations made by the state legislature.
Aribasoye said the establishment of state police had remained a subject of national debate for more than two decades, stressing the need for a policing system capable of responding more effectively to security challenges across the country.
He noted that concerns over delayed responses to distress calls, limited operational reach and the distance between security agencies and local communities had strengthened calls for a decentralised policing structure.
According to the Speaker, a properly structured state police system could improve accountability and bring policing leadership closer to the communities they serve, provided adequate constitutional safeguards are established.
The Assembly’s Committee of the Whole House also recommended an adjustment to Section 317A(5) of the proposed constitutional amendment to clarify the legislative powers of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly regarding relevant security arrangements.
However, the passage of the bill by Ekiti lawmakers does not automatically establish state police in the state or across Nigeria.
The proposed constitutional amendment must receive approval from at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can proceed to the presidential assent stage.
The development represents another step in the ongoing national process to amend the Constitution and create a legal framework for State Police Services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force as the federal policing institution.
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