What if help could reach you before the kidnappers escape into the bush? That's the question behind Ondo Assembly's big move today.

In a decisive move, the Ondo State House of Assembly has passed the bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to establish state police services.

According to cbinews.tv, the bill was passed at plenary on Monday in Akure, after a letter from the National Assembly Clerk, Kamoru Ogunlana, was read by Speaker Olamide Oladiji.

House Leader Olatunji Oshati, who moved the motion, said lawmakers had weighed what it means for ordinary people. The motion was seconded by Allen Oluwatoyin of Ese-Odo.

And Speaker Oladiji didn't mince words; he called state police "long overdue."

Here's the background: Nigeria has run a centralised police system since the 1930 Police Ordinance, enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. But with over 220 million people policed by roughly 370,000 officers- that's about 1 officer to 600 citizens, far below the UN recommendation- insecurity has exploded. From farmer-herder clashes in Ondo North to kidnappings on the Akure-Owo road, many communities feel federal police are too far, too slow.

Ondo already tried its own answer in 2020 with Amotekun, the South-West security outfit. But Amotekun lacks full policing powers, no power to prosecute or bear sophisticated arms. State police would change that.

Why it matters: Grassroots officers who speak the language, know the terrain, and can gather local intelligence. More confidence, faster response.

What happens next?

This isn't law yet. The Ondo resolution will now be transmitted to the National Assembly. For the Constitution to be amended, at least 24 out of 36 state assemblies must approve. So far, over a dozen states have voted in favour. If it scales through, President Tinubu is expected to assent; he has openly backed state policing.

It's history in the making, and for many Ondo families, it's personal.

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