Nigeria’s long-running debate over state police took a major step forward on Thursday as a bill seeking to establish state-controlled police forces scaled second reading in the Senate.
According to Punch, lawmakers threw their weight behind the proposal, arguing that decentralised policing could help tackle the country’s worsening security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and communal violence.
Leading the debate, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said state police would boost intelligence gathering, strengthen community policing and allow quicker responses to local security threats. He also insisted the bill contains safeguards to prevent abuse by state governors, including oversight mechanisms and national policing standards.
The bill has now been referred to the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Constitutional Review for further scrutiny, signalling growing legislative support for one of Nigeria’s most contentious security reforms. :::
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