By Oluwakemi Kindness
The House of Representatives has passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria, marking a major step in efforts to reform the country’s security architecture.
The bill was approved on Thursday after the House adopted the report of its Committee on Constitution Review during consideration in the Committee of the Whole.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the session, said 311 lawmakers participated in the exercise, with 276 members physically present and 35 joining virtually through the House’s electronic platform.
He noted that the figure surpassed the constitutional requirement for a two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, described the proposal as a landmark constitutional reform designed to strengthen security across the country.
Kalu said the amendment would bring policing closer to communities, improve intelligence gathering, enhance coordination among security agencies and enable state governments to respond more effectively to emerging security threats.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for forwarding the Executive Bill on state police, saying it complemented the work already undertaken by the House and provided a stronger constitutional framework for the reform.
According to him, the amendment establishes the constitutional basis for a modern, professional and accountable state police system, while operational details will be addressed through subsequent legislation.
Describing the proposal as a practical response to Nigeria’s growing security challenges, Kalu urged lawmakers to support the measure.
The bill will now proceed to the Senate for concurrence before being transmitted to the President for assent.
