Osun Assembly approves state police bill as National Assembly clarifies transmission

The Osun State House of Assembly has become the first state legislature to approve the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police in Nigeria.

 

The approval came on Tuesday, following a clarification by the National Assembly that only the State Police Services Bill had so far been transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly.

 

The clarification followed reports suggesting that the entire package of proposed constitutional amendments had been forwarded to state legislatures.

 

In a statement signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, the legislature said the State Police Services Bill was the only constitutional alteration bill transmitted to the states.

 

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is only this particular Constitution Alteration Bill that has so far been transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly,” Ogunlana said.

 

He explained that the remaining Constitution Alteration Bills would be forwarded to the 36 state assemblies after they had been passed in identical form by both chambers of the National Assembly, in line with the constitutional amendment process.

 

Ogunlana said the decision to prioritise the State Police Bill was driven by public concerns over security and policing in the country.

 

At its plenary on Tuesday, the Osun Assembly unanimously approved the proposed amendment after deliberations.

 

The Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, read a letter from the National Assembly requesting state legislatures to consider and approve the bill as part of the constitutional amendment process.

 

Contributing to the debate, lawmakers including Lawrence Adeoti, Taofeek Olayiwola, Adewumi Adeyemi and Jeremiah Awoyeye supported the proposal, arguing that state police could strengthen security at the state and local government levels.

 

They said the proposed amendment would enhance the capacity of states to deploy security personnel and respond more effectively to security challenges within their jurisdictions.

 

The Majority Leader, Babajide Kofoworola, moved the motion for the Assembly to support the amendment, while Tajudeen Adeyemi seconded it.

 

Meanwhile, the Assembly also dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider the Osun State Park Management System Bill, 2026.

 

The committee considered proposed amendments and corrections to the bill and adopted them as part of the legislative process.