State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria have begun considering the proposed constitutional amendment to establish State Police Services, following its transmission by the National Assembly.
The bill was transmitted to the 36 state legislatures on September 16 in accordance with Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires state-level approval for constitutional alterations. At least 24 state Houses of Assembly must approve the proposal for the amendment process to advance. (Trust Radio)
The National Assembly has asked the state legislatures to communicate their resolutions within 30 days, although the Constitution does not prescribe a specific deadline for their consideration of constitutional amendment bills. (Trust Radio)
Osun State has already approved a resolution supporting the creation of state police, while Zamfara and Sokoto have commenced consideration of the proposal.
In Bauchi State, the House of Assembly constituted an ad hoc committee to examine the bill and submit its recommendations within two weeks.
Several other states, including Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kano, Gombe, Cross River and Ogun, have confirmed receipt of the bill and are preparing to consider it when their respective chambers reconvene.
In Gombe, Deputy Speaker Sadam Bello Saleh confirmed that the bill had been received and was before the Assembly leadership. He said a seven-member committee would be constituted to examine its provisions and make recommendations. (Trust Radio)
However, a number of state legislatures, including Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Kebbi, Ondo, Ekiti and Adamawa, were yet to confirm receipt of the proposal at the time of the report.
The proposed amendment seeks to fundamentally alter Nigeria’s policing structure by introducing a dual system comprising the Federal Police Service and State Police Services.
Under the proposal, individual states would be permitted to establish their own police services through laws enacted by their Houses of Assembly, subject to compliance with national minimum standards prescribed by the National Assembly. (Trust Radio)
The Federal Police Service would retain responsibility for national security matters, including terrorism, cybercrime, inter-state offences, arms trafficking and international criminal syndicates.
State police, meanwhile, would be responsible primarily for public safety and policing within their respective states.
The bill also contains provisions intended to regulate the relationship between federal and state police authorities. In specified circumstances, including a breakdown of public order that a state police service is unable or unwilling to contain, the President could temporarily assume operational control, subject to conditions including legislative and judicial oversight. (Trust Radio)
It also proposes safeguards around the appointment and removal of police chiefs. State Commissioners of Police would be appointed by governors on the recommendation of the National Police Council and subject to confirmation by the relevant State House of Assembly.
The proposal further seeks to prohibit police directives aimed at unlawful arrests, detention or the suppression of lawful political activities.
The move comes amid a long-running national debate over whether Nigeria’s centralised policing structure is adequate to address insecurity across the country.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures has previously indicated that state assemblies would subject the proposal to legislative scrutiny, particularly because of its implications for relations between governors, state legislatures and security institutions. (Trending News)
For the constitutional amendment to become effective, the required number of state Houses of Assembly must approve the proposal before the National Assembly can complete the constitutional alteration process.
The consideration by the state legislatures therefore represents a significant stage in the Federal Government’s effort to introduce state police into Nigeria’s security architecture. (dailytrust.com)
