FIC REPORT (EKITI STATE) – Ekiti State House of Assembly has passed the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, seeking to provide for the establishment of State Police Services in Nigeria.
The well debated bill scaled second and third readings during plenary, with all 21 members present supporting its passage, signalling the Assembly’s endorsement of the proposed constitutional framework for decentralised policing.
Following the passage, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the document to the National Assembly, alongside the observations made by the state legislature.
Speaking on the bill, Aribasoye described the proposed establishment of State Police as a matter that had remained at the forefront of national discourse for more than two decades, noting that the Ekiti Assembly had a historic opportunity to make its position known on the issue.
The Speaker stressed the need for effective and responsive security, noting that the challenges of policing in Nigeria required practical solutions capable of addressing the concerns of citizens.
He observed that Nigerians had repeatedly expressed concerns over delayed responses to distress calls, limitations in operational reach and the distance between law enforcement agencies and the communities they were meant to protect.
According to him, inadequate and poorly coordinated local policing in some areas had contributed to insecurity, threatening livelihoods, disrupting education, undermining business confidence and eroding public trust.
Aribasoye explained that a properly structured State Police system could strengthen accountability by bringing policing leadership and oversight closer to the people and their elected representatives, subject to constitutional safeguards.
He maintained that the country could not afford unnecessary delays in addressing security challenges, describing State Police as a long-overdue practical necessity rather than a mere theoretical preference.
Ojong Christian.
PCM&PRO 1.
21/10/2026.
