The House of Representatives has withdrawn its proposed constitutional amendment bill seeking the establishment of state police, opting instead to consider a similar proposal transmitted by the Executive as part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing structure.
The decision was taken during plenary after lawmakers agreed that advancing the Executive-sponsored bill would streamline legislative consideration and avoid parallel deliberations on similar proposals. The Executive bill subsequently passed its first and second readings before being referred to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative scrutiny.
The move represents a significant step in the long-running debate over the creation of state police, a proposal that has attracted support and criticism from political leaders, security experts, civil society organisations, and constitutional scholars.
Supporters of state police argue that decentralising policing would improve security, strengthen community-based law enforcement, and enable state governments to respond more effectively to local security challenges. Opponents, however, have expressed concerns that state-controlled police forces could be susceptible to political interference and abuse if adequate constitutional safeguards are not established.
Constitutional experts note that any amendment establishing state police must undergo the prescribed legislative process, including approval by the National Assembly and endorsement by the required number of State Houses of Assembly before becoming law.
