State Police Bill Nears Reality as Reps Set for Crucial Vote — Kalu

By Pan Afric Reporters

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has assured Nigerians that the long-awaited constitutional framework for the establishment of state police is on the verge of becoming a reality, as the House prepares for a decisive vote on the proposed amendment on Thursday.

The assurance came amid growing concerns over insecurity across the country, with the Deputy Speaker declaring that the National Assembly is determined to deploy legislative solutions to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and improve response to criminal activities.

According to a press release issued by the Office of the Deputy Speaker and signed by Levinus Nwabughiogu, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Kalu made the remarks while briefing parliamentary correspondents after Wednesday’s plenary session in Abuja.

Addressing journalists alongside caucus leaders from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Kalu said lawmakers had reached a consensus that the existing constitutional framework was no longer adequate to tackle the nation’s mounting security challenges.

He stressed that safeguarding lives and property is a constitutional responsibility shared by all arms of government and not the executive alone.

“There is a need for us to use legislative tools to block the problems,” Kalu said.

“We have discovered that leaving the law as it is will not give us the expectation that all Nigerians have placed in government with regard to curing the issue of insecurity. Therefore, we have decided to prioritise the issue of unbundling security response through the legislative tool for state police.”

National Consensus Reached

The Deputy Speaker disclosed that extensive consultations had already produced broad national support for state policing, with the Federal Government, state governors, and security stakeholders backing the initiative.

According to him, the current provisions of Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution do not permit the establishment of state police, making constitutional amendments imperative.

“The structure has been agreed to by the Inspector-General of Police and his team. National consensus has also been reached on it. The executive has bought into it. Governors have bought into it that there is need for state police,” he stated.

Kalu noted that lawmakers had worked tirelessly to ensure that the constitutional amendment process reached its final stage, describing the planned vote as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to confront insecurity.

“We are here to announce to Nigerians that hope is coming; that hope to have a better response time to incidents of crime is here. We have decided that by tomorrow, we will be voting on the Constitution and prioritising state police,” he said.

Parliament ‘Marching Forward’

The Deputy Speaker dismissed reports suggesting that vested interests were attempting to frustrate the state police initiative, insisting that the House remained united and committed to seeing the amendment through.

“We’ve read a lot of things in the news that people are trying to stop it. No, the Parliament is marching forward and by tomorrow we’ll be concluding on this,” he said.

Kalu expressed optimism that once passed by the National Assembly, the amendment would receive speedy approval from state legislatures, citing the positive disposition of governors across the federation.

“Because we have seen the body language of the governors of these 36 states, which is in support of state police, they will work hand in hand with their Houses of Assembly to ensure that it is returned to Mr. President for his assent as quickly as possible,” he added.

Lawmakers Recalled for Critical Vote

To ensure a successful vote, Kalu called on members of the House currently undertaking oversight assignments across the country to suspend their engagements and return to Abuja immediately.

Describing the matter as urgent and of national importance, he urged lawmakers to demonstrate their commitment to improving security by participating in the constitutional amendment process.

“We want all our members to be in the House so that we’ll show our constituents that we are in support of state police and that security is priority on our list,” he said.

If approved, the constitutional amendment would mark one of the most significant security reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule, potentially paving the way for the creation of state-controlled police forces aimed at complementing federal policing efforts and addressing local security challenges more effectively.