House Of Representatives Approves State Police Bill, Paving The Way For Policing Reforms In Nigeria
By Oludare Joshua
In a landmark move aimed at strengthening internal security and addressing the growing challenges of insecurity across the country, the House of Representatives has passed the State Police Bill, effectively setting the stage for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing architecture.
The bill received overwhelming support during Thursday’s plenary session, presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, with 289 lawmakers voting in favour of the proposal.
The decision follows increasing concerns over the persistent rise in killings, kidnappings, banditry, and other security threats affecting various parts of the nation. In response to these challenges, the House had dedicated Thursday’s sitting to the consideration and voting on the State Police Bill as part of ongoing constitutional reform efforts.
However, the proceedings were not without controversy. Shortly after the commencement of the plenary, Hon. Bashir Zubairu, a lawmaker representing Kaduna State and a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), raised a point of order. He expressed concerns that the report and document prepared by the House Committee on Constitution Review regarding the proposed State Police framework had only been made available to members earlier in the day.
Addressing the chamber, Zubairu argued that lawmakers had not been given sufficient time to thoroughly study the document before being called upon to vote on such a critical national issue.
“Mr. Speaker, this document was only made available to lawmakers in the chambers today, and many of us are yet to go through its contents. We cannot effectively do justice to it without adequate review,” he stated.
Despite his objection, the Speaker ruled him out of order, allowing deliberations and the voting process to continue as scheduled.
As Speaker Abbas proceeded to guide members through the various clauses of the bill, several lawmakers were heard calling for points of order. However, the presiding officer declined to entertain further interruptions and pressed ahead with the proceedings.
Before voting commenced, the Speaker informed the House that the electronic voting system was not functioning properly. Consequently, the voting exercise was conducted based on the attendance register of members present in the chamber.
At the conclusion of the exercise, 289 out of the 290 lawmakers in attendance voted in support of the State Police Bill, while only one member voted against it. Speaker Abbas abstained from voting.
The overwhelming endorsement of the bill marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s constitutional amendment process and reflects growing legislative support for a state-controlled policing system as a potential solution to the nation’s evolving security challenges.
