Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has advocated for the immediate establishment of state police as a critical step to solving Nigeria’s security issues.
Following his recent participation at the 55th WTO–Inter-Parliamentary Union Public Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, Kalu told reporters in Abuja that the current centralised policing system is outdated and inefficient.
Kalu highlighted that the bill before the National Assembly aims to decentralise policing to improve response times and meet global standards.
He stated that other nations successfully use a combination of municipal and state police forces, and that Nigeria should do the same.
Acknowledging the possibility of the system being abused, the Deputy Speaker asserted that ensuring the security and safety of the majority of citizens outweighs these potential risks.
He announced that a public hearing on the bill will be held on Monday to gather input from the public.
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In a related development, Kalu revealed that Nigerian and other African delegations are pushing for African issues to be a primary focus at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé in March 2026.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that Africa’s concerns are not only acknowledged but are central to the discussions.
The Port City News earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu declared that the creation of state police is unavoidable, as part of his administration’s efforts to strengthen security across the country.
Tinubu reiterated that the Federal Government, FG, is committed to confronting insecurity head-on and stressed that there is a need to discuss with the National Assembly leadership on the issue.
