Nigerian Senate approves state police bill

The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment bill allowing states to establish their own police forces, following the House of Representatives’ approval on June 11.

The bill would allow each of Nigeria’s 36 states to create a police force controlled by the state governor, operating under national standards set by the federal government. The federal police would retain control of counterterrorism, border patrol, organised crime and other national security issues.

The bill has been debated for years as Nigeria grapples with worsening insecurity, including mass kidnappings and terrorist attacks in rural areas. Criminal gangs and terrorists have killed tens of thousands of people, according to the United Nations.

State governors are currently considered the top security chiefs of their states, but do not have operational command over police forces. The reform would give them that authority.

President Bola Tinubu has championed the reform, which enjoys bipartisan support in parliament.

The bill still requires ratification by at least 24 of the 36 state assemblies, that is, a two-thirds majority, before it can become law. The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, urged the state assemblies to expedite the process.

SOURCE: MRA