Ogun Assembly backs establishment of state police

Ogun, Enugu, and Kwara state legislatures have approved resolutions supporting the establishment of state police forces in Nigeria. These approvals advance a constitutional amendment process that requires the endorsement of at least 24 of the country’s 36 state houses of assembly before the measure can proceed to presidential signature. The recent votes join earlier endorsements from Edo, Oyo, Osun, and Rivers states, bringing the total number of supportive state legislatures to eight according to official counts cited in recent reports. In Ogun State, the House of Assembly passed a resolution titled H.R. No. 194/OG/2025 during plenary sessions. This resolution supports the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026. The legislation aims to provide a legal framework for creating state police services. A House Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review, chaired by Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, a former Speaker of the Assembly, presented a report detailing 26 clauses and proposed amendments. Lawmakers voted in favor of each clause, which included substitutions, insertions, and alterations to specific constitutional provisions. Hon. Adegoke Adeyanju seconded the motion to adopt the committee’s report, while Hon. Yusuf Sherif, the House Leader, moved for its adoption as a formal resolution. Hon. Omolola Bakare, the Chief Whip, seconded this final motion. Members supported both motions via voice vote. Speaker Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide described the decision as historic, noting that Ogun had joined other state legislatures in backing the initiative. He stated that the move reflects the position of Ogun lawmakers and citizens regarding the need to strengthen national security architecture. Elemide argued that state police would improve security measures, protect lives and property, and promote social well-being and economic development. Following the vote, the Speaker ordered that a clean copy of the resolution be prepared and transmitted to the National Assembly to formally communicate the state’s support. In Enugu State, the House of Assembly passed a similar resolution during plenary on Tuesday. Speaker Uche Ugwu, who represents the Udi North State Constituency, announced the outcome in a Facebook post. During the session, members voted to support the bill seeking alteration of the Nigerian constitution to establish state police. Ugwu stated that the measure would address internal security issues effectively. He praised the All Progressives Congress-led government and party leadership for listening to the concerns of Nigerians by supporting the creation of state police. Meanwhile, the Kwara State House of Assembly approved the proposed amendment during its Tuesday plenary. Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu read a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly regarding the proposed constitutional alteration. House Leader Mogaji Oba Abdulkadri led the debate, enumerating the advantages the amendment would offer to the country’s policing system. Other lawmakers noted that the change would bring police closer to the people, thereby improving the security of life and property. Following deliberations, the Speaker directed Clerk of the House Alhaji Ahmed Olayiwola to communicate the Assembly’s decision to the National Assembly for further action. The agitation for state police has persisted for more than two decades as Nigeria faces widening security challenges. The campaign has divided public opinion, with opponents fearing potential abuse by state governors and supporters arguing that the benefits outweigh the risks. President Bola Tinubu adopted the creation of state police as a cardinal program to address insecurity. On June 11, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the constitutional amendment bill. The Senate passed the bill days later. However, the legislation still requires the support of 24 state assemblies and the president’s signature to become law. Nnadibem Moghalu, Secretary of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, confirmed in early October that four states had initially approved the bill. He identified these states as Edo, Oyo, Osun, and Rivers. With the recent developments, Enugu, Ogun, and Kwara have joined this list. It remains unclear whether additional states have approved the measure since those initial reports, though state assemblies have begun considering the bill after the National Assembly transmitted it to them. The proposed model seeks to create a policing system where individual state governments maintain their own police forces alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force controlled by the federal government. Proponents argue this structure brings policing closer to communities, enabling quicker responses to local security challenges and utilizing better knowledge of the areas served. Supporters contend that decentralizing policing would improve intelligence gathering and facilitate faster responses to threats such as kidnapping, banditry, and other violent crimes. Under Section 9(2) of the Constitution, at least 24 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly must approve a constitutional alteration before it can proceed to the next stage. Kwara’s approval is a procedural step in this amendment process and does not automatically establish an operational state police service within the state.