By Divine Sam
The National Assembly is expected to transmit the State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday for assent, following its approval by 29 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this during plenary on Wednesday while presiding over proceedings.
Kalu expressed satisfaction with the development, describing the endorsement by more than two-thirds of the state legislatures as a major breakthrough in the country’s efforts to establish state police.
“The State Police Bill has received the backing of 29 State Assemblies. Later today, the Clerk to the National Assembly will transmit it to the President for assent,” he said.
The approval represents a significant step in the ongoing constitutional amendment process aimed at decentralising policing responsibilities and allowing state governments to establish and manage their own police forces alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
The proposed reform is expected to give state governments greater control over security operations within their jurisdictions, while maintaining the Federal Government’s existing police structure.
Advocates of state police have argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing system limits the ability of security agencies to respond effectively to security threats peculiar to different communities and states.
The proposed arrangement is therefore intended to bring policing closer to the people, improve local intelligence gathering and strengthen responses to security challenges across the country.
With the endorsement of 29 state assemblies, the bill has secured the required legislative backing for the next stage of the constitutional amendment process.
Its transmission to President Tinubu for assent is expected to advance the proposed restructuring of Nigeria’s policing system.
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