Federal House of Representatives has passed the State Police Bill, paving the way for the decentralisation of Nigeria’s policing system in what lawmakers described as a major step toward tackling worsening insecurity across the country.
The bill scaled through on Thursday , after 289 lawmakers voted in favour during plenary presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. Only one member voted against the proposal, while the Speaker abstained.
The House had dedicated Thursday’s sitting to the consideration and voting on the bill following renewed concerns over killings, kidnappings and banditry in several parts of the country.
Proceedings, however, witnessed a brief controversy when Kaduna lawmaker Bashir Zubairu raised a point of order, arguing that members had insufficient time to study the committee report before voting.
“This document was only made available to lawmakers in the chambers, and we are yet to go through it. We cannot do justice to it because we have not gone through it,” Zubairu said.
The lawmaker’s objection was overruled, allowing the legislative process to continue.
During clause-by-clause consideration, some lawmakers repeatedly attempted to raise points of order, but the Speaker proceeded with the exercise.
Before voting commenced, Abbas informed members that the electronic voting system had developed technical issues and that voting would instead be conducted based on attendance records.
Of the 290 lawmakers present, 289 endorsed the creation of state police, while one opposed the measure.
The passage of the bill marks one of the most significant security reforms considered by the National Assembly in recent years, amid growing calls for state-controlled policing to complement the efforts of the federal police in combating crime and insecurity nationwide.
The bill is expected to proceed to the next stages of the constitutional amendment process.
House of Reps passes State Police Bill
