Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has expressed confidence that all 36 State Houses of Assembly will simultaneously approve the constitutional amendment bill seeking the establishment of state police, describing the proposal as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s internal security architecture.
Speaking at an Arise Television Town Hall Meeting on state policing, Abiodun said the initiative had achieved an unprecedented national consensus.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for transmitting the Executive Bill to the National Assembly and praised lawmakers and other stakeholders for advancing the legislation.
He described June 24, 2026, as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey, noting that it marked the transmission of the Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly and its swift consideration by the Senate.

According to the governor, previous administrations attempted to establish state police without success, making the current progress particularly noteworthy.
“I want to thank Arise TV for organising this very important town hall meeting on a matter that has now become a national consensus. One of the few issues in Nigeria that enjoys such broad acceptance is the creation of state police,” he said.

Abiodun, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Committee on State Police Creation, said governors across the federation played a key role in shaping the bill, reflecting the importance sub-national governments attach to the initiative.
He noted that although governors are constitutionally recognised as the chief security officers of their states, they have had limited control over policing despite providing substantial logistical and financial support to security agencies.

The governor disclosed that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum constituted a committee of governors and state attorneys-general to work with the executive and legislative arms of government in drafting the bill.
“The bill has our input, and we are excited because what we are seeing today is the fulfilment of a dream we have nurtured for many years. It validates our long-standing advocacy for community policing,” he said.

Abiodun added that the proposed state police structure would build on the achievements of regional security outfits such as the South-West Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, which he said has complemented conventional policing through intelligence gathering and community engagement.
He argued that establishing state police would improve Nigeria’s police-to-population ratio while creating employment opportunities across the country’s 774 local government areas.

According to him, Nigeria currently has about one police officer for every 660 citizens, compared with the United Nations benchmark of one officer to 440 citizens and the global average of one officer to 250 citizens.
Using Ogun State as an example, Abiodun said the state has about 6,000 personnel across Amotekun, the So-Safe Corps, vigilante groups and other security outfits. Replicating similar structures nationwide, he said, could immediately add between 300,000 and 400,000 security personnel.

He explained that the constitutional amendment seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, enabling states to establish their own police services.
Expressing optimism that all state legislatures would approve the amendment once transmitted to them, Abiodun attributed the expected support to the extensive consultations and active involvement of governors in drafting the bill.

He, however, stressed that passing the constitutional amendment would only be the first step.
According to the governor, consequential amendments would be required to amend or repeal relevant provisions of the Police Act, while a comprehensive operational framework would also need to be developed.
He said the framework should define the structure of state police, its relationship with the Nigeria Police Force, oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse, funding arrangements, training standards and the establishment of institutions such as police councils and police service commissions.

Abiodun maintained that these measures would ensure that state police operates professionally, effectively and in line with the objective of improving security while safeguarding the rights of Nigerians.