Reps pass state police constitutional amendment bill

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police, marking a significant step in efforts to decentralise policing and address Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

The proposed legislation, transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on July 14, was approved following a clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee of the Whole, presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

The bill had earlier been passed by the House on June 11 before lawmakers rescinded the decision to allow for further review after concerns were raised over some of its provisions.

Presenting the bill for consideration, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, described the proposal as a landmark constitutional reform aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.

He commended President Tinubu for championing the initiative, noting that the President had long advocated decentralised policing.

“This amendment seeks to bring policing closer to the people, strengthen intelligence gathering, improve coordination among security agencies, and empower governments at all levels to respond more effectively to the country’s evolving security challenges,” Kalu said.

Acknowledging that the proposal might not satisfy every stakeholder, the deputy speaker urged lawmakers to support the measure, arguing that constitutional reforms are gradual in nature.

“We must not allow the pursuit of perfection to become the enemy of meaningful progress,” he said.