The Ekiti State House of Assembly on Wednesday handed State Police Bill.
The invoice was handed after scaling second and third readings following strong debate throughout a plenary session, with all 21 lawmakers current supporting its passage.
This signalled the Assembly’s endorsement of the proposed constitutional framework for decentralised policing.
The handed invoice is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, in search of provision for the institution of State Police Services in Nigeria.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the doc to the National Assembly, alongside the observations made by the state Legislature.
Speaking on the invoice,
Aribasoye described the proposed institution of State Police as a matter that had remained on the forefront of nationwide discourse for greater than 20 years, noting that the Ekiti Assembly had a historic alternative to make its place recognized on the problem.
The Speaker who burdened the necessity for efficient and responsive safety, famous that the challenges of policing in Nigeria required sensible options able to addressing the issues of residents.
He noticed that Nigerians had repeatedly expressed issues over delayed responses to misery calls, limitations in operational attain and the space between regulation enforcement businesses and the communities they had been meant to guard.
Inadequate and poorly coordinated native policing in some areas, in response to him had contributed to insecurity, threatening livelihoods, disrupting schooling, undermining enterprise confidence and eroding public belief.
Aribasoye defined {that a} correctly structured State Police system may strengthen accountability by bringing policing management and oversight nearer to the individuals and their elected representatives, topic to constitutional safeguards.
He maintained that the nation couldn’t afford pointless delays in addressing safety challenges, describing State Police as a long-overdue sensible necessity moderately than a mere theoretical choice.
The chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Babatunde Oke mentioned, the Committee of the Whole House in its report on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, really helpful that the Assembly grant concurrence to the proposed constitutional alteration, topic to an modification to Section 317A(5).
The committee reported that it had thought-about the invoice clause by clause and deliberated on the proposed constitutional framework for the institution and operation of State Police Services.
Specifically, the committee proposed the insertion of the phrases “an Act of the National Assembly or a Law of the State House of Assembly, as applicable” after the phrases “this Constitution” within the newly inserted Section 317A(5).
The statement is meant to expressly recognise the legislative authority of the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly, inside their respective constitutional jurisdictions, in authorising related safety preparations.
The committee subsequently really helpful that the House grant its concurrence to the invoice topic to the noticed parts, which was among the many observations directed to be transmitted to the National Assembly by the Clerk of the House.
