House Of Reps Set For Showdown Vote On State Police Thursday

The Nigerian House of Representatives will on Thursday take a decisive vote on the creation of state police as lawmakers prepare to consider key constitutional amendment bills.
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‎Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who also chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, told reporters after plenary that the chamber will prioritise the state police bill ahead of other proposals.
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‎Kalu said the House has directed all members currently outside Abuja on oversight assignments to suspend those duties and return to the parliament on Thursday for the vote.
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‎The state police bill is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker and 14 other members of the House.
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‎The proposal has triggered fierce debate since it was introduced. Advocates argue that Nigeria’s centralised police system has failed to curb insecurity, pointing to the surge in banditry, kidnapping, and farmer-herder clashes.
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‎They insist that state police would bring law enforcement closer to communities with better knowledge of local terrain and threats, citing models used in the United States, India, and other federations.
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‎Opponents have warned of potential abuse and political weaponisation. Governors and civil society groups fear that state governors could turn the police into tools for intimidating rivals or manipulating elections.
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‎The Nigeria Police Force and its unions have also rejected decentralisation, citing concerns over funding, training standards, and duplication of roles.
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‎Critics further argue that many states lack the financial capacity to recruit, train, and equip their own police forces.
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‎Thursday’s vote will test the House’s willingness to push constitutional reform.
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‎The bill must secure a two-thirds majority in both chambers and approval from 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.