BREAKING: Ondo Assembly approves state police bill

The Ondo State House of Assembly has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to establish state police, citing the need to strengthen community security, protect farmers from attacks and improve responses to criminal activities.

The lawmakers endorsed the proposal during plenary on Monday after considering a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for the creation of state police services.

The bill was transmitted to the assembly by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, in a letter read by the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, on the floor of the House on September 24.

The proposal passed the second and third readings after lawmakers examined its provisions, with the Committee of the Whole recommending approval, subject to an amendment to Section 317A(5).

Speaking on the development, Oladiji said the establishment of state police had remained a subject of national debate for more than two decades, adding that decentralised policing could help address Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.

He said the proposed arrangement would improve intelligence gathering, enable quicker responses to emergencies and give security agencies a better understanding of threats peculiar to different communities.

The lawmakers also argued that state police could help curb kidnapping and attacks on farmers, secure rural communities and highways, and support agricultural production. They noted that the arrangement would complement the Federal Police Service by allowing it to concentrate more on interstate crimes and complex security operations.

Following the approval, Oladiji directed the Clerk to transmit the assembly’s decision, observations and recommendations to the National Assembly for further action under the constitutional amendment process.