Ekiti Assembly passes bill to establish state police

The Ekiti State House of Assembly on Wednesday passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to establish State Police Services in Nigeria.

The bill scaled second and third readings during plenary, with all 21 members present supporting its passage, signalling the Assembly’s endorsement of the proposed constitutional framework for decentralised policing.

After the passage, the Speaker, Adeoye Aribasoye, directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the document to the National Assembly, along with the state legislature’s observations.

Speaking on the bill, Mr Aribasoye said the proposed establishment of State Police had remained at the forefront of national discourse for more than two decades, and that the Ekiti Assembly had a historic opportunity to make its position known on the issue.

The speaker stressed the need for effective and responsive security, noting that the challenges of policing in Nigeria required practical solutions capable of addressing the concerns of citizens.

He observed that Nigerians had repeatedly expressed concerns about delayed responses to distress calls, limited operational reach, and the distance between law enforcement agencies and the communities they were meant to protect.

According to him, inadequate and poorly coordinated local policing in some areas had contributed to insecurity, threatening livelihoods, disrupting education, undermining business confidence and eroding public trust.

Mr Aribasoye explained that a properly structured State Police system could strengthen accountability by bringing policing leadership and oversight closer to the people and their elected representatives, subject to constitutional safeguards.

He maintained that the country could not afford unnecessary delays in addressing security challenges, describing State Police as a long-overdue practical necessity rather than a mere theoretical preference.

In its report on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, the Committee of the Whole House recommended that the Assembly grant concurrence to the proposed constitutional alteration, subject to an amendment to Section 317A(5).

The committee reported that it had considered the bill clause by clause and deliberated on the proposed constitutional framework for the establishment and operation of State Police Services.

Specifically, the committee proposed the insertion of the words “an Act of the National Assembly or a Law of the State House of Assembly, as applicable” after the words “this Constitution” in the newly inserted Section 317A(5).

The observation is intended to expressly recognise the legislative authority of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, within their respective constitutional jurisdictions, in authorising relevant security arrangements.

The committee subsequently recommended that the House grant its concurrence to the bill subject to the observed portions, which was among the observations directed to be transmitted to the National Assembly by the Clerk of the House.