The Senate has passed a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria.
Lawmakers approved the bill on Wednesday after considering and adopting its 26 clauses during the committee of the whole.
The proposed legislation will create a constitutional framework for state police services alongside the existing federal police structure.
State police framework
The bill seeks to strengthen security across the country.
It also aims to improve intelligence gathering and speed up responses to local security threats.
Under the proposal, states can establish police services through laws passed by their houses of assembly.
However, they must meet national standards prescribed by the national assembly.
‘Major constitutional reform’
Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader, described the bill as a landmark reform.
He said President Bola Tinubu transmitted the proposal to the national assembly.
“This Bill represents one of the most significant constitutional reforms in our nation’s democratic evolution,” Bamidele said.
According to him, the legislation addresses long-standing concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s policing structure.
Federal police to retain key powers
Meanwhile, Bamidele said the federal police will continue to handle national security matters.
These include terrorism, organised crime, cybercrime, border security and arms trafficking.
The federal police will also retain responsibility for policing the federal capital territory (FCT).
State police duties
Furthermore, state police services will focus on local security issues.
They will enforce state laws, maintain public order and prevent crime within their jurisdictions.
They will also protect lives and property at the state level.
Security challenges drove reform
Bamidele said rising insecurity exposed the limitations of the current centralised policing system.
He listed terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts and cybercrime among the threats facing the country.
According to him, those challenges placed enormous pressure on the existing policing framework.
