he Ondo State House of Assembly has endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment to establish State Police, citing the need to strengthen grassroots security, protect farmers against attacks and improve crime prevention across the country.
The lawmakers gave their approval during plenary on Monday, following consideration of a bill seeking to alter the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police Services.
The proposal was transmitted to the Assembly by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mr. Kamoru Ogunlana, in a letter read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, on September 24.
The bill passed the second and third readings during plenary presided over by Oladiji, with the lawmakers supporting the proposed constitutional amendment by more than the required two-thirds majority.
The Committee of the Whole House, after examining the bill clause by clause, recommended that the Assembly grant concurrence to the proposed amendment, subject to an amendment to Section 317A(5).
Speaking on the development, Oladiji said the establishment of state police had remained a major issue in national discourse for more than two decades, adding that the Assembly had an opportunity to contribute to efforts to address the country’s security challenges.
He said the proposed reform was necessary to strengthen security and governance, noting that the country needed practical measures to protect lives and property.
“Following the extensive deliberations and thorough scrutiny of this bill by this Honourable House, it is clear that this is the least we can do to strengthen security and governance in our dear state,” the Speaker said.
Oladiji added that the lawmakers had considered and agreed to the provisions of the bill as presented, expressing the hope that the proposed policing structure would improve security across the country.
He said Nigeria could not afford unnecessary delays in addressing insecurity, describing state police as a practical necessity rather than a theoretical preference.
During deliberations, the Committee of the Whole House identified several potential benefits of state police, including improved understanding of local security challenges, faster emergency response, better intelligence gathering and more effective crime prevention.
The committee also noted that state police could complement the Federal Police Service by addressing local security concerns, while allowing the federal institution to focus more on interstate crimes and other complex security challenges.
On agricultural security, the lawmakers said the proposed structure could help protect farmers against kidnapping and attacks, improve safety in farming communities and support food production.
They also highlighted the need to strengthen security along highways to protect road users and reduce criminal activities.
Following the approval, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the Assembly to transmit the bill to the National Assembly alongside the observations and recommendations of the state legislature in line with the constitutional amendment process.
The development comes amid efforts by the Federal Government and the National Assembly to establish a legal framework for decentralised policing.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill on July 7, 2026, to prepare the legal framework for implementing state police across the country.
The initiative followed the National Assembly’s passage of the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, which proposes a dual policing structure comprising a Federal Police Service and 36 State Police Services.
The proposed reform is intended to bring policing closer to communities and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to tackle insecurity.