Osun Becomes First State to Back State Police Amendment as Constitutional Process Advances

The push to establish state police in Nigeria has entered a significant new phase after the Osun State House of Assembly became the first state legislature to approve the proposed constitutional amendment following its transmission by the National Assembly. Osun lawmakers unanimously backed the proposal during plenary on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, beginning the state-level approval process required before the constitutional amendment can advance further. The development comes as the National Assembly moved to clarify confusion surrounding the ongoing constitutional review, stressing that the State Police Services Bill is the only constitutional alteration proposal it has so far transmitted to the 36 state Houses of Assembly. Osun lawmakers unanimously support proposal During Tuesday's sitting in Osogbo, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly Adewale Egbedun informed lawmakers of a communication from the National Assembly requesting state legislatures to consider the proposed amendment. The proposal seeks to alter Nigeria's 1999 Constitution to provide a constitutional basis for the establishment of state police services. Several Osun lawmakers spoke in support of the amendment during deliberations. Lawrence Adeoti, representing Ife South State Constituency, and Taofeek Olayiwola of Ede South argued that establishing state police could strengthen security arrangements across Nigeria. Adewumi Adeyemi, representing Obokun, and Jeremiah Awoyeye of Ife Central also backed the proposal, describing it as timely. The lawmakers argued that allowing policing structures at the state level could improve states' ability to deploy personnel and respond to security problems within their jurisdictions. Following the debate, Majority Leader Babajide Kofoworola, representing Ede North, moved the motion for the Assembly to support the constitutional amendment. Tajudeen Adeyemi of Ifelodun State Constituency seconded the motion, after which lawmakers unanimously approved the proposal. Osun is only the beginning of state approval process Although Osun is the first state legislature reported to have endorsed the amendment following its transmission, its approval alone cannot bring state police into existence. Constitutional amendments in Nigeria require support beyond the National Assembly. The state police proposal must secure approval from at least two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 state Houses of Assembly. That translates to a minimum of 24 state legislatures. Osun's decision therefore represents the first reported approval toward that threshold, meaning at least 23 additional state legislatures would have to support the amendment for it to satisfy the state-level requirement. The proposal would still have to complete the remaining constitutional and legislative steps before becoming part of Nigeria's constitutional framework. National Assembly corrects reports over transmitted bills Osun's decision coincided with a clarification from the National Assembly about exactly what had been sent to state legislatures. In a statement signed by Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana, the federal legislature said reports suggesting that its entire collection of proposed constitutional amendments had already been transmitted to the states were incorrect. According to the National Assembly, only the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026 dealing with the establishment of State Police Services has so far been forwarded to the 36 state legislatures. The bill was transmitted on September 16. Other constitutional alteration proposals currently being considered at the federal level will be sent to the states after the Senate and House of Representatives have passed them in identical form. The clarification is significant because reports following the September 16 transmission had created uncertainty over whether state lawmakers had received a much broader package of constitutional reforms. Why state police bill was prioritised The National Assembly said it prioritised the state police proposal because of widespread public concern over security and policing. Nigeria currently operates a policing structure dominated by the federally controlled Nigeria Police Force. For years, the possibility of allowing individual states to operate their own police services has generated extensive debate among political leaders, security experts, civil society groups and members of the public. Supporters argue that officers operating under state structures could have stronger knowledge of local communities and potentially respond more quickly to local security threats. Concerns raised in the wider debate, however, have included how state police forces would be funded, what oversight mechanisms would apply and how to prevent political officeholders from misusing locally controlled security institutions. The constitutional amendment process will ultimately determine the legal framework if the proposal receives the approvals required to proceed. States expected to communicate decisions The National Assembly has indicated that it expects the 36 state Houses of Assembly to consider the state police proposal and communicate their resolutions within 30 days of transmission. That period should not, however, be confused with a constitutional deadline. The 30-day timeframe is an administrative expectation from the National Assembly rather than a deadline specifically imposed by the Constitution. This means attention will now turn to other state legislatures as they begin considering the proposal. Every additional state resolution will be important because the amendment must reach the constitutionally required threshold of at least 24 state Houses of Assembly. State police debate enters decisive stage Osun's approval marks an important procedural development in a debate that has continued for years. But the vote does not mean Nigeria has established state police. Instead, it means the proposal has secured the backing of the first state legislature reported to have acted on the amendment since its transmission. The positions taken by the remaining state Houses of Assembly will determine whether the proposal reaches the two-thirds state threshold necessary for the constitutional alteration process to move forward. Until that threshold and the remaining constitutional steps are completed, Nigeria's existing policing structure remains in place.