State Police: Bill Passes Second Reading in House of Representatives

A Constitution Amendment Bill seeking to introduce state police has passed second reading in the House of Representatives.

The bill, which was sponsored by 13 members of the House, was backed by a majority of the lawmakers in the green chamber who say that concerns of political victimisation by state governors should take the backseat due to the current state of insecurity across the country.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu and the state governors considered the creation of state police as a solution to the menacing security challenges of kidnapping and banditry rocking the country.

For some years now, different stakeholders, including governors, regional socio-political groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Middle Belt Forum, and the Northern Elders’ Forum, have repeatedly called for state police as the solution to the myriad of security challenges confronting the nation.

Already, states in the South-West geopolitical zone have formed the Amotekun while their counterparts in the South-East also created state-owned security outfit Ebube Agu. The Benue Guards has also been operational in Benue State in the North Central while states like Katsina, Zamfara and others have also come up with similar state-established outfits.