The House of Representatives has passed the State Police Bill, marking a significant step toward the decentralization of Nigeria’s policing system amid rising security challenges across the country.
The bill was approved during Thursday’s plenary presided over by Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, with 289 lawmakers voting in support and only one voting against it.
The House had fixed the vote following increasing concerns over insecurity, including incidents of killings, kidnappings and banditry in several parts of the country.
The debate preceding the vote was not without controversy. A member representing Kaduna State, Bashir Zubairu, objected to the process, arguing that lawmakers received the document outlining the proposed state policing framework only on Thursday afternoon, leaving them insufficient time to study its provisions.
However, the Speaker ruled the objection out of order and directed proceedings to continue.
Before the commencement of voting, Abbas informed lawmakers that the electronic voting system was not functional, necessitating a vote based on attendance. Out of the 290 members present, 289 voted in favour of the bill, while one member voted against it. The Speaker did not cast a vote.
The passage of the bill now brings Nigeria closer to establishing a state policing structure aimed at addressing the country’s evolving security challenges.
