By George Omagbemi
Ondo State is conspicuously absent from the list of 24 Nigerian states reportedly to have approved the proposed constitutional amendment for the establishment of state police.
The reported approvals represent a significant step in the ongoing push to decentralise policing and strengthen responses to security challenges across the country.
The 24 states reportedly backing the proposal are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
Ondo’s omission raises questions about whether its State House of Assembly has formally approved the proposed amendment or whether its position was simply not reflected in the published list.
However, the absence of the state from the compilation does not establish that its lawmakers oppose state police.
Under Section 9(2) of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, constitutional amendments require approval from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly, equivalent to 24 states.
The final tally of formally confirmed approvals remains important to determining the reform’s progress.
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