Reps Begin Clause-By-Clause Consideration Of Tinubu’s State Police Bill

• House Committee on Constitution Review begins detailed consideration of President Tinubu’s executive State Police Bill.
• Lawmakers to adopt Senate-passed version with only minor amendments after clause-by-clause review.
• Proposed legislation seeks to establish state police to tackle insecurity nationwide through decentralised policing.

The House of Representatives has commenced a clause-by-clause consideration of President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill seeking to establish state police, in a significant step towards overhauling Nigeria’s policing system.

The move signals the House’s readiness to adopt the version of the bill already passed by the Senate, subject to only minor amendments, as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process aimed at addressing the country’s worsening security challenges.

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Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, announced the development on Monday during a meeting of the committee, where lawmakers began detailed scrutiny of the proposed legislation.

Kalu said the Senate-approved version would serve as the committee’s primary working document because it is substantially similar to the executive bill transmitted by President Tinubu.

“The purpose of today’s meeting is to consider the executive bill clause by clause and make appropriate recommendations to the House. The Senate has already considered and adopted the bill with certain amendments, and this document will serve as our working draft,” he said.

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According to him, the Senate introduced about eight minor amendments, including provisions on interpretation, transitional arrangements and implementation, all of which would be carefully examined by the committee.

He recalled that the House had earlier passed its own Constitution Alteration Bill on State Police on June 11 before lawmakers proceeded on recess. However, the decision was rescinded on July 14 following the transmission of the President’s executive bill to allow consideration of the new proposal.

Kalu noted that President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, was well-positioned to propose comprehensive constitutional reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

He described the State Police Bill as one of the President’s signature constitutional reform initiatives, noting that Tinubu had consistently advocated decentralised policing since his tenure as Governor of Lagos State.

“I must emphasise that the State Police Bill remains one of the signature constitutional reform initiatives of President Bola Tinubu. As Governor of Lagos State, he was among the earliest advocates of multi-layered policing as a strategic solution to Nigeria’s security challenges,” Kalu said.

The Deputy Speaker explained that the executive bill had already passed first and second readings in the House, while stakeholder engagements held during the National Assembly Open Week effectively fulfilled the public hearing requirement.

He added that both chambers of the National Assembly were working closely to ensure the constitutional amendment process is concluded without delay.

Kalu said lawmakers convened on Monday, despite the House’s traditional Tuesday legislative sitting, because of the urgency attached to the bill.

Supporters of state police argue that Nigeria’s centralised policing system has become overstretched and incapable of effectively addressing localised security threats such as terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal clashes.

However, critics have raised concerns that governors could abuse state police for political purposes, especially during elections.

To address those concerns, the proposed constitutional amendment includes safeguards relating to the establishment, funding, oversight and operational control of state police formations.

If approved by both chambers of the National Assembly, endorsed by at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly and assented to by President Tinubu, the legislation will introduce one of the most significant policing reforms since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.