The Osun State House of Assembly has become the first state legislature to approve Nigeria's proposed constitutional amendment for the establishment of state police, marking a new stage in the effort to allow states to operate their own police services.

The lawmakers unanimously approved the State Police Services Bill during plenary in Osogbo on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following its transmission by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly.

However, the approval does not mean Osun State can immediately establish or begin operating its own police force. The proposed amendment must still receive the constitutionally required approval from other state legislatures before the necessary legal processes can be completed.

The development followed a letter from the National Assembly, which was presented to Osun lawmakers by the Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, requesting their consideration and approval of the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution.

During the debate, Lawrence Adeoti, representing Ife South State Constituency, and Taofeek Olayiwola, representing Ede South, expressed support for the proposal.

Adewumi Adeyemi, representing Obokun, and Jeremiah Awoyeye, representing Ife Central, also backed the proposed establishment of state police.

The lawmakers argued that creating state police services would strengthen Nigeria's security arrangements and enable states to respond more effectively to threats within their territories.

They maintained that a decentralised policing structure could improve security at the grassroots by allowing states to deploy personnel according to their local security needs.

Following the deliberations, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Babajide Kofoworola, representing Ede North, moved the motion for the House to approve the proposed constitutional amendment.

The motion was seconded by Tajudeen Adeyemi, representing Ifelodun State Constituency.

The lawmakers subsequently adopted the proposal, with Egbedun directing that the Assembly's resolution be communicated to the National Assembly.

Osun's approval is only one of the state-level endorsements required for the amendment to proceed.

Under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, a constitutional amendment of this nature requires the support of at least two-thirds of the members of each chamber of the National Assembly and approval by the Houses of Assembly of at least two-thirds of Nigeria's 36 states.

This means that a minimum of 24 state legislatures must endorse the proposed amendment.

With Osun reported as the first state to approve the proposal, the remaining state legislatures will determine whether the bill secures the required level of support.

The National Assembly had earlier transmitted the State Police Services Bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 16 for consideration and approval.

In a clarification issued on September 22, the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, explained that the state police proposal was the only constitutional alteration bill transmitted to state legislatures so far.

He said other proposed constitutional amendments would be forwarded to the states after their passage in identical form by both chambers of the National Assembly.

The State Police Services Bill seeks to establish a constitutional framework allowing state police services to operate alongside a federal police service.

Under Nigeria's existing constitutional arrangement, policing is primarily organised through the federally controlled Nigeria Police Force, with state governments having limited operational control over its personnel.

The proposed amendment would create a legal basis for states to establish their own police services, subject to the applicable constitutional and statutory requirements.

The development comes amid continuing discussions about how Nigeria should address security challenges across different states and communities.

In Osun, the government recently convened an emergency security meeting involving the police, Department of State Services, Nigerian Army and other agencies following killings reported in Ikire, Ile-Ife and Osogbo.

The meeting focused on the response to the incidents and measures intended to prevent further violence.

Although Osun lawmakers have expressed support for state police, the latest approval does not transfer the powers of the Nigeria Police Force to the state government or authorise the immediate recruitment of a separate state police service.

The proposed amendment must complete the remaining constitutional process, while any operational arrangements would depend on the eventual legal framework.

For Osun residents, the immediate development is that their state legislature has endorsed the proposed constitutional change.

Whether Osun will eventually establish its own police service will depend on the completion of the nationwide constitutional amendment process and the legal steps required to create such a service.