EBONYI ASSEMBLY UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES STATE POLICE BILL
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Grace Chidimma Ibe
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has unanimously approved a bill seeking to establish state police services, endorsing a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to provide a legal framework for state-level policing in Nigeria.
All 24 members of the assembly voted in favour of the bill on Tuesday following deliberations and consultations with their constituents.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to establish state police services while retaining the Nigeria Police Force at the federal level. The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to reform the country’s security architecture and improve responses to criminal activities.
The Speaker of the House, Moses Odunwa, said the unanimous approval demonstrated the assembly’s commitment to constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening security and protecting lives and property across the state.
Odunwa stated that the establishment of state police would enhance access to criminal intelligence and enable security agencies to respond more effectively to local security challenges. He described state policing as a long-standing demand among the people of Ebonyi.
The Speaker disclosed that the state had earlier presented its position in support of state police during a public hearing organised by the National Assembly as part of its constitutional review exercise.
He added that the assembly’s decision reflected the desire of residents for a policing system that would be closer to communities and better equipped to address security threats at the grassroots level.
The Leader of the House, Kingsley Ikoro, said the proposed state police system would increase the number of security personnel available to combat crime across Ebonyi State. Ikoro, who represents Afikpo North West State Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC), maintained that decentralised policing would strengthen security operations in local communities.
Other lawmakers, including Victor Nwoke, representing Abakaliki North, and Oluchukwu Ezeali, representing Afikpo North East, also expressed support for the proposal. They argued that bringing policing closer to the people would improve responses to criminal activities and other security threats.
Following the approval, Odunwa directed the Clerk of the House, Uche Edene, to formally transmit the assembly’s resolutions to the National Assembly for further action as part of the constitutional amendment process.
The approval adds Ebonyi State to the states supporting the proposed constitutional framework for state police, an initiative that has featured prominently in national discussions on security reforms and the need to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
