The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the State Police Bill, a major legislative proposal aimed at decentralising Nigeria’s policing structure and enhancing the country’s capacity to tackle growing security threats.
The bill secured overwhelming support during plenary, with 289 lawmakers voting in favour, one voting against, while Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, abstained from the vote.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish state-controlled police formations as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture amid persistent incidents of kidnapping, banditry, communal violence and other criminal activities across the country.
Proceedings on the bill generated debate after a member representing Kaduna State, Bashir Zubairu, raised concerns over the timing of its consideration.
Zubairu argued that members had not been given adequate time to study the report submitted by the House Committee on Constitution Review before deliberations commenced.
According to him, lawmakers could not effectively scrutinise the proposal without first reviewing the document in detail.
However, Speaker Abbas ruled the objection out of order and directed the House to proceed with clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
The session witnessed occasional interruptions as some lawmakers sought to raise procedural issues, but the Speaker maintained the legislative process and guided members through the debate and voting stages.
Before the commencement of voting, Abbas informed members that the House’s electronic voting system was unavailable, necessitating a manual voting process based on attendance records.
Of the 290 lawmakers present during the session, 289 voted in support of the bill, highlighting broad bipartisan backing for the establishment of state police structures.
The passage of the bill marks a significant milestone in ongoing constitutional and security sector reforms, reflecting growing calls for a more decentralised policing system capable of responding effectively to local security challenges.
The proposal is expected to form part of wider constitutional amendment processes aimed at strengthening governance and improving public safety across the federation.
