The Labour Party has welcomed the Senate’s passage of the State Police Bill, describing it as a landmark step towards addressing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges through a more responsive and decentralized policing system.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Eluma Asogwa, the party commended the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, for what it described as courage, patriotism, and urgency in passing the constitutional amendment bill recently transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the party, Nigerians across all regions have long demanded a policing structure capable of responding more effectively to local security threats, arguing that the country’s centralized policing system has struggled to cope with increasingly complex criminal activities.
While acknowledging concerns that state police could be abused by state governors, the Labour Party said such fears should not derail a reform it considers necessary for national security. It pointed to the constitutional safeguards contained in Section 17 of the amendment bill, saying the provisions establish accountability mechanisms designed to prevent arbitrary control and political misuse of state police.
The party maintained that no policing model is perfect but insisted that Nigeria’s current security realities require innovative solutions. It argued that decentralizing policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based law enforcement, and enhance the country’s overall security architecture.
With the bill now awaiting approval by at least two-thirds of the State Houses of Assembly before it can be transmitted to the President for assent, the Labour Party called on governors and state legislators across the federation to support the constitutional amendment in the interest of national security rather than partisan politics.
The party expressed confidence that, with effective oversight, transparency, and strict adherence to constitutional provisions, state policing could become a vital instrument for combating crime, protecting lives and property, and strengthening Nigeria’s federal system.
