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By Victor Osula, Abuja
The National Assembly has stepped up efforts to establish the state police as part of a broader strategy to address Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, with the House of Representatives declaring emergency legislative action and recalling members from oversight roles at the national level for a crucial vote on the Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The move comes amid renewed waves of killings, kidnappings, bandit attacks and other violent crimes in several parts of the country, prompting lawmakers to prioritize reforms aimed at decentralizing the police and improving the response to security threats.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Constitution Revision Committee, Benjamin Kalu, announced on Wednesday that lawmakers will vote on the constitutional amendment bill that seeks to create state and local police formations.
Speaking at a press conference immediately after the plenary, Kalu said the House decided to put the state police proposal ahead of other constitutional amendment bills due to the urgent need to address the deteriorating security situation in the country.
According to him, all members currently outside Abuja carrying out oversight functions have been ordered to immediately suspend their duties and return to the National Assembly for Thursday’s voting session.
Kalu said the legislature concluded that existing constitutional provisions are inadequate to effectively address contemporary security challenges and that urgent legal reforms are needed.
“When we say that security of life and property is the primary purpose of government, the question becomes whether we as legislators have done our part through legislation to uphold that constitutional responsibility,” he said.
Kalu noted that while lawmakers have consistently engaged security chiefs, financial authorities and relevant government agencies through oversight functions and investigative hearings, there is a growing need to use legislative tools to strengthen the country’s security framework.
“We have found that leaving the law as it is will not give us that expectation that all Nigerians have placed in the basket with regards to curing the problem of insecurity. Therefore, we have decided to prioritize the issue of segregation of security related issues and response time through the legislative instrument of legislation, targeting the police,” he said.
The Vice President revealed that extensive consultations have already taken place with key stakeholders, including the Inspector General of Police, governors and officials from the executive arm of government, all of whom he said support the proposed framework for state policing.
“As today, there is a structure agreed upon by the Inspector General of Police and his team. The national consensus has also agreed on it. The Executive and the governors have accepted the need for state police,” he said.
Kalu argued that constitutional provisions, particularly section 214 of the 1999 Constitution, which centralizes the police under the federal government, should be amended to pave the way for state police formations. He assured Nigerians that the process of constitutional amendment was underway and dismissed reports that some interests were attempting to frustrate the proposal.
“We are here to tell Nigerians that hope is coming; that the hope of having better response times to crime incidents is here. We have decided that by tomorrow we will vote on the constitution and give priority to the state police. The President asked us to assure Nigerians that hope is coming and there is no one to stop us from moving forward with the state police. Parliament is marching ahead,” he said.
Kalu also expressed confidence that the amendment will receive quick approval from state legislatures once it is forwarded by the National Assembly.
“We have seen the body language of the governors of the 36 states, which is in support of the state police. They will work hand in hand with the respective Houses of Assembly to ensure that it is returned to Mr. President for assent as quickly as possible,” he added.
The House’s action follows a similar commitment by the Senate, which this week said it was ready to approve the State Police proposal.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who serves as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, disclosed that the final report of the Committee on the State Police will be presented to the Senate for consideration before the end of the week.
Bamidele said the National Assembly had reached a consensus to expedite the passage of the amendment and forward it to states without further delay.
“We have come to the conclusion that we will approve the constitutional amendment as far as making provisions for the state police, and if I can tell you today, that will be accomplished just this week because there is no need to allow any further delay,” he said.
According to him, lawmakers have held a series of meetings with President Bola Tinubu, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu and other critical stakeholders in recent weeks to fine-tune the proposed framework.
He revealed that once approved by the National Assembly, the amendment will be forwarded to the 36 state Houses of Assembly, where it will have to gain the approval of at least 24 states before being forwarded to President Tinubu for assent.
“The President is also with us and I am sure he will look forward to the bill coming to him for his assent,” Bamidele said, adding that most state governors and parliaments are already in favor of the proposal.
The push for state police has gained momentum amid persistent insecurity across the country and long-standing calls from governors, security experts and civil society groups for a decentralized police structure. The proposal was among the key recommendations of the 2014 National Conference convened during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
In the absence of a constitutional framework for state policing, several regions have established local security structures such as Amotekun in the southwest, Ebube Agu in the southeast, and Hisbah in parts of northern Nigeria to complement federal security agencies.
However, the proposal has continued to generate debate, with critics warning that state police could be used by governors to harass political opponents and suppress dissent if adequate safeguards are not put in place.
To address such concerns, Senate President Godswill Akpabio recently revealed that the proposed framework includes the establishment of a National State Police Commission to regulate the recruitment, training, promotion, discipline and operational standards of state police formations nationwide.
If successfully passed and ratified by the required number of state assemblies, the amendment would represent one of the most far-reaching security reforms in Nigeria since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
