By Palang Paul
The National Assembly is expected to transmit the State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent on Wednesday, November 4, following its approval by 29 of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this during plenary on Wednesday, describing the development as a major step towards establishing state police in Nigeria.
“The State Police Bill has received the backing of 29 State Assemblies. Later today, the Clerk to the National Assembly will transmit it to the President for assent,” Kalu said.
The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to allow state governments to establish and manage their own police forces alongside the Nigeria Police Force.
Supporters of the reform argue that decentralising policing could improve security responses by enabling law enforcement agencies to address threats and crime more effectively at the state and local levels.
Under the proposed arrangement, state governments would assume greater responsibility for policing within their jurisdictions, while the Federal Government would retain the federal police structure.
The transmission of the bill to the President follows its reported approval by the required number of state legislatures, marking a significant stage in the constitutional amendment process.
However, the bill’s transmission for assent does not, by itself, establish state police. The constitutional amendment must complete the applicable legal process before the proposed changes can take effect.
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