State police bill heads for a crucial House vote as lawmakers push constitutional reforms to tackle Nigeria’s security challenges

The House of Representatives is set to commence voting on a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police, marking a significant step in ongoing efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

Also read: Reps recover ₦521m unremitted VAT from CBN

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

The proposed reform comes amid persistent incidents of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and other violent crimes across the country, which have intensified calls for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing structure.

The State Police Bill, sponsored by Kalu and 14 other lawmakers, passed second reading on February 20, 2024.

The legislation seeks to move policing from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, thereby granting states the constitutional authority to establish and manage their own police formations.

To achieve this objective, the bill proposes amendments to several sections of the 1999 Constitution, including Sections 197, 214 and 215.

Explaining the rationale behind the proposal, Kalu argued that the responsibility for securing lives and property extends beyond the executive arm of government and requires legislative intervention through constitutional reforms.

According to him, the National Assembly must utilise its law-making powers to provide lasting solutions to the country’s security problems.

“We have always referred to the parliament, the House of Representatives, as the solution hub where hydra-headed problems of the country are presented and solutions given to them,” he said.

Kalu maintained that the current centralised policing framework has not delivered the level of security Nigerians expect and that reforms are necessary to strengthen crime prevention and response mechanisms.

He said lawmakers had resolved to prioritise legislative measures aimed at improving security outcomes through comprehensive policing reforms.

The Deputy Speaker also disclosed that the proposal has attracted broad support from key stakeholders, including the Presidency, state governors and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.

“The Speaker has asked us to come and address Nigerians to assure them that hope is coming and there is nobody stopping us from going ahead with state police,” Kalu said.

He expressed confidence that the amendment process would advance smoothly and subsequently be transmitted to state legislatures for consideration.

“We have seen the body language of the governors of these 36 states, and they are in support of state police,” he added.

The push for state police remains one of the most consequential and debated constitutional reform efforts since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

Supporters argue that locally controlled police forces would improve intelligence gathering, enhance community policing and enable faster responses to security threats.

Critics, however, have raised concerns that state governments could potentially abuse such powers to intimidate political opponents and suppress dissent, particularly in states where democratic institutions are perceived to be weak.

Despite those concerns, support for the State Police Bill has continued to grow as security challenges place increasing pressure on the centrally controlled policing system.

If approved by the National Assembly and subsequently ratified by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly, the amendment would represent one of the most far-reaching changes to Nigeria’s security architecture in more than two decades of democratic governance.