In a major step toward bolstering security across the state, the Ebonyi State House of Assembly on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, unanimously approved a bill to establish state police services. The vote formally endorses the proposed constitutional amendment transmitted to state legislatures by the National Assembly for concurrence. ​
The legislation, passed during a plenary session held at the Assembly Complex in Abakaliki, alters the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide a legal framework for decentralized state police units that will operate alongside the existing federal Nigeria Police Force. ​Presiding over the session, Speaker of the House Hon. Moses Ije Odunwa commended the lawmakers for their decisive endorsement.
He stated that the unanimous vote underscores the Assembly’s commitment to ongoing constitutional reforms designed to strengthen the nation’s security architecture, improve access to vital criminal intelligence, and guarantee the protection of lives and property. ​During floor deliberations, key legislative leaders voiced strong support for the reform.
Hon. Kingsley Ikoro, the Leader of the House representing Afikpo North-West, noted that establishing state police would significantly boost personnel numbers in the state’s security sector. He emphasized that a localized system is better positioned to respond rapidly to evolving security threats and tackle crime at the grassroots level. ​
Echoing those sentiments, lawmakers including Hon. Victor Nwoke of Abakaliki North, Hon. Oluchukwu Ezeali of Afikpo North-East, and Chief Whip Hon. Nkemka Onumah argued that decentralizing policing power would bridge critical intelligence gaps and foster closer cooperation between law enforcement officers and local communities. ​
Following the passage of the bill, Speaker Odunwa instructed the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Uche Edene, to immediately transmit a formal memorandum communicating the resolution back to the National Assembly for inclusion in the broader constitutional review process.
