Kwara lawmakers endorse state police bill

The Kwara State House of Assembly has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to pave the way for the establishment of state police in Nigeria.

The lawmakers endorsed the proposal during Tuesday’s plenary after Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu read a letter from the Clerk of the National Assembly seeking state legislatures’ consideration of the amendment.

The House Leader, Mogaji Oba Abdulkadri, led the debate, highlighting the potential benefits of decentralising policing across the country.

Other lawmakers who contributed to the debate said state police would bring security closer to communities and improve the protection of lives and property.

Following the approval, Danladi-Salihu directed the Clerk of the House, Ahmed Olayiwola, to communicate the Assembly’s decision to the National Assembly for further action.

The development was disclosed in a statement by Abdulkadir Yusuf, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, in Ilorin.

Kwara’s approval comes amid efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow states to establish their own police services alongside the Nigeria Police Force.

Supporters of state policing argue that decentralising law enforcement would strengthen intelligence gathering and enable quicker responses to security threats, including kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.

Under Section 9(2) of the Constitution, at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 state Houses of Assembly must approve a constitutional alteration for it to proceed.

The approval by the Kwara Assembly does not automatically establish a state police service, as the proposed constitutional amendment must complete the required legislative process.