By Ayodele Oni
Osun State House of Assembly has become the first legislative house to approve the constitutional amendment bill, seeking to establish State Police.
The lawmakers reached the decision during plenary on Tuesday following a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Hon. Kofoworola Babajide Adewunmi, and seconded by Hon. Tajudeen Adeyemi.
The House subsequently considered and approved the proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for State Police Service to operate alongside the Federal Police.
National Assembly transmitted the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration and approval.
The transmission marked the next stage in the constitutional alteration process.
Speaking after the Osun Assembly’s approval, Speaker Adewale Egbedun directed that the resolution be communicated to the National Assembly in accordance with the constitutional amendment procedure.
Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment requires approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
This means at least 24 state legislature must endorse the proposal before the process can advance to the subsequent stage.
State Police is designed to introduce a dual policing structure, operating alongside the existing federal policing system.
The National Assembly’s version provides for state-level policing responsibilities while retaining a federal police structure for matters within its constitutional jurisdiction. The proposal has advanced through both chambers of the National Assembly.
The House of Representatives approved the State Police constitutional amendment in June, while the Senate subsequently passed the bill before it was transmitted to the state legislatures.
The proposed framework also contains provisions concerning the appointment and oversight of state police commissioners, the relationship between governors and state police commands, and safeguards intended to regulate the exercise of policing powers.
National Assembly officials have said state lawmakers are expected to communicate their decisions within 30 days of receiving the bill.
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