Just In:House of Representatives Approve State Police Bill

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVES STATE POLICE BILL

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved the proposed State Police Bill following a vote conducted during plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Announcing the outcome, Abbas disclosed that 288 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, while four members opposed it. The vote came after legislators devoted the previous day to debating the proposal.

Due to the non-functionality of the electronic voting system, members cast their votes through a voice and show-of-hands process.

The proposed legislation is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security framework by introducing an additional policing structure at the state level. It also seeks to establish constitutional safeguards, define operational guidelines, provide oversight mechanisms, and clearly outline the responsibilities of both federal and state policing authorities.

Prior to the vote, the House had released the final draft of the Constitution Alteration Bills, including the proposal seeking to create a constitutional basis for state police.

In a statement issued by the Speaker’s spokesman, Akintunde Rotimi, the House noted that the constitutional amendment proposals represent the outcome of months of legislative review carried out by the House Committee on Constitution Review. The process involved the examination of submissions from lawmakers, government agencies, professional associations, civil society groups, traditional institutions, and members of the public.

According to the statement, the review exercise featured extensive consultations through zonal and national public hearings, expert engagements, stakeholder meetings, and town hall sessions held across the six geopolitical zones to ensure broad public participation.

The approval of the state police bill comes amid increasing concerns over insecurity in several parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the Senate has already advanced the state police proposal through second reading and subsequently referred it to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative consideration.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio indicated during plenary that lawmakers would take a decision on the bill when it returns to the chamber for voting at a later sitting.