THE House of Representatives has passed the bill seeking to establish state police, marking a significant step in efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.
The bill was approved during today’s plenary session presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
According to the Speaker, 288 lawmakers voted in support of the proposal, while four voted against it.
The vote came a day after lawmakers dedicated an entire session to debating the merits and implications of state policing.
Members voted by a show of hands after Abbas explained that the electronic voting system was not operational.
The proposed legislation seeks to create an additional layer of policing across the country while providing constitutional safeguards, clearly defined operational frameworks, oversight mechanisms and a clear division of responsibilities between federal and state policing authorities.
Earlier, the House released the final draft of several Constitution Alteration Bills, including provisions designed to establish a constitutional framework for state police.
In a statement, House spokesman Akintunde Rotimi said the constitutional review process was the result of months of legislative work carried out by the House Committee on Constitution Review.
He noted that the exercise involved the consideration of amendment proposals submitted by lawmakers, government agencies, professional bodies, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and members of the public.
According to the statement, the review process also featured extensive stakeholder engagement through zonal and national public hearings, expert consultations, town hall meetings and other engagements held across the six geopolitical zones.
The passage of the bill comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in several parts of the country and renewed calls for more decentralised policing structures.
Meanwhile, the Senate has passed the state police bill for second reading and referred it to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review for further consideration.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said lawmakers would vote on the proposal at a subsequent sitting.
Supporters of state police argue that a decentralised policing system would improve response times and strengthen local security efforts.
Critics, however, warn that granting states control over their own police forces could lead to political abuse in a system where electoral and political tensions remain high.
For the bill to become law, it must secure approval from the Senate and be endorsed by at least two-thirds of the country’s 36 State Houses of Assembly as part of the constitutional amendment process.
