Four states have approved the constitutional amendment bill seeking to provide legal backing for the establishment of state police, the Presidency has said.
The Presidency gave the names of the states as Edo, Rivers, Osun and Oyo.
Meanwhile, the amendment requires approval by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can proceed to the next stage of the constitutional process.
Nnadubem Moghalu, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on planning and research, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the parliamentary lecture organised by the house of representatives press corps.
“The required threshold is twenty-four states. The constitutional process continues until that threshold is met. The distinction between that constitutional amendment and the national policing bill we are now working on is important. The amendment would create a constitutional basis for the dual policing model,” he said.
“The national policing bill is intended to provide the operational framework through which that constitutional model can work. State legislation and the practical work of building capable institutions must follow within the resulting legal framework.”
He also warned against governors using state police to target political opponents or local majorities deploying security forces against minorities, saying the law must clearly define authority and provide mechanisms to punish abuse.
Henry Nwawuba, executive secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, said lawmakers must move beyond expressions of sympathy over insecurity and embrace legislative solutions.
“We can’t keep saying our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of insecurity and we call ourselves legislators,” he said.
Ndudi Elumelu, former minority leader of the house of representatives, backed the reform but underscored the need for safeguards to ensure professionalism, accountability, human rights protection, adequate training and freedom from political interference.
Akin Rotimi, spokesman of the house of representatives who represented Tajudeen Abbas, the speaker, urged the media and parliament to subject the proposal to rigorous scrutiny based on its principles, provisions and consequences rather than the identity of its sponsors or supporters.
Grace Ike, chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said policing closer to communities could produce more tailored responses to local security challenges, provided there are effective oversight, funding and accountability mechanisms.
