The House of Representatives has passed the State Police Bill, marking a significant step toward the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system.
The decision was reached during Thursday’s plenary session presided over by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, following a vote by lawmakers on the proposed constitutional amendment.
The bill was considered a priority by the House amid growing concerns over insecurity across the country, including rising cases of killings, kidnappings, banditry, and other violent crimes.
Proceedings were briefly interrupted when a member representing Kaduna State, Bashir Zubairu, raised a point of order. He argued that lawmakers had only received copies of the report prepared by the House Committee on Constitution Review shortly before the sitting and had not been given sufficient time to study its contents.
According to him, members needed adequate time to review the document before taking a position on such an important constitutional matter.
However, the objection was overruled, allowing deliberations and voting on the bill to continue.
During consideration of the report, some lawmakers attempted to raise additional points of order, but the Speaker proceeded with the exercise.
Before voting commenced, Abbas informed members that the electronic voting system was not functioning, necessitating an alternative voting process based on attendance.
At the conclusion of the exercise, 289 lawmakers voted in support of the State Police Bill, while one member voted against it. The Speaker did not participate in the voting.
The passage of the bill represents a major milestone in the ongoing constitutional review process and reflects growing legislative support for the creation of state-controlled police forces as part of efforts to strengthen security across the federation.
If successfully completed through the constitutional amendment process and subsequent approvals, the measure is expected to pave the way for the establishment of state police structures alongside existing federal policing institutions.
The development is widely seen as one of the most significant security-related constitutional reforms currently under consideration in Nigeria, with proponents arguing that decentralised policing could improve intelligence gathering, community engagement, and rapid response to security threats at the state level.
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