On Monday, the [Ondo State House of Assembly](https://www.ondostate.gov.ng/) approved without dissent a constitutional amendment that would create a state police force, following a plenary discussion chaired by Speaker Olamide Oladiji. The move signals the state's commitment to a decentralized security model and the bill has now been forwarded to the [National Assembly](https://nass.gov.ng/) for final action.
Key details include: the amendment is part of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026; the vote was unanimous; Speaker Oladiji highlighted the potential to ease pressure on federal police; Leader of the House Olatunji Oshati outlined expected benefits such as improved intelligence‑led policing; and the bill joins 24 other states that have already ratified the amendment.
The deliberation took place in the Assembly’s plenary hall, where Speaker Oladiji presided over the session. After the bill’s recommendations were presented, Leader of the House Olatunji Oshati explained that a state policing system would allow law‑enforcement agencies to respond more swiftly to grassroots security challenges through a decentralized approach.
In his remarks, Speaker Oladiji expressed confidence that the new structure would relieve the existing federal police by adding an extra layer of security and enhancing coordination when confronting threats. He noted that beyond crime control, the state police are expected to boost intelligence‑driven operations by fostering closer ties with traditional rulers, community leaders, traders, farmers and other local stakeholders.
**What happens after the Assembly’s approval?**
The Speaker instructed the Clerk of the Assembly to transmit the endorsed bill, together with the Assembly’s observations, to the National Assembly for further consideration and eventual enactment.
**Which states have already endorsed the amendment?**
Twenty‑five states have so far ratified the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, satisfying the two‑thirds majority required under Section 9 of the Nigerian Constitution. The states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kebbi and Kwara, together with Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
The amendment, which seeks to establish [State Police](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_police_(Nigeria)) across the federation, is viewed as a pivotal step toward strengthening Nigeria’s overall security architecture by allowing each state to tailor policing strategies to its unique local realities.