Ondo Assembly backs state police bill, sends it to Abuja

Ondo State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to change the 1999 Constitution to allow state police, adding the state to the list of assemblies backing the plan.

The lawmakers passed the Constitution of the 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 on Monday at plenary in Akure, after it scaled second and third readings. According to Punch and Daily Post, every member present supported it.

The proposal reached the assembly through a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, which Speaker Olamide Oladiji read on September 24, Vanguard reported.

Why it matters

Nigeria currently runs a single national police force. Supporters say state-run police would be closer to communities, gather intelligence faster and respond quicker to crime — issues that affect ordinary Nigerians’ safety daily.

Majority Leader Olatunji Oshati, who moved the motion, said lawmakers weighed how the change would affect residents, and argued state police would tackle the country’s security challenges. Allen Oluwatoyin, who represents Ese-Odo constituency, seconded it.

Oladiji called the plan long overdue, saying it would let security agencies react faster to crime. “There will be greater confidence in state policing. It will strengthen intelligence gathering and provide grassroots security,” he said, according to Vanguard and Naija News.

Daily Post reported that 24 of the 36 state assemblies had already met the constitutional threshold last week. Punch said Ondo now joins the states that have passed the bill.

What happens next

Oladiji directed the Clerk of the House, Benjamin Jaiyeola, to send the resolution and the assembly’s observations to the National Assembly for further action.

State police will only take effect if the amendment completes the national process. For now, Ondo’s vote is one more state endorsement, not a new force on the streets.