In a bid to help improve the security situation in Nigeria, the Senate has passed an amendment bill that seeks to set up state police.
This was achieved after garnering more than two-thirds support through a clause-by-clause consideration at plenary. The bill was finally passed by the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, after a manual voting exercise.
The proposed legislation will give states the ability to run their own police forces along with the Federal Police Force. The governors will have the authority to nominate state Commissioners of Police, but the nomination will have to be confirmed by the State Houses of Assembly.
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The establishment of the state police is intended to improve efforts in dealing with crime like kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and other types of criminal activities through improved local security responses.
To avoid the abuse of state police, the bill provides for protection against prosecution of individuals or groups for criticizing the actions of the government beyond what the law provides.
There is a need for further steps for the bill to be ratified.
The issue of state police has been a point of contention for many years. Numerous state governors, regional administrators, security analysts, and civil society organizations have consistently called for the adoption of state police in order to tackle an increasingly complex issue of insecurity, which cannot be adequately addressed by a single centralized police agency anymore.
However, the opposition has consistently warned that unless strict supervision, funding arrangements, and accountability procedures are put in place, the establishment of state police could simply generate more issues than it could solve.
Nigeria has come closer than ever to the realization of state police due to the approval of this bill by the Nigerian Senate.
