State police will protect youth businesses, boost security — City Boy Movement

The proposed establishment of state police could help protect young Nigerians’ businesses, improve security and create safer communities, the City Boy Movement (CBM) has said, following the approval of the constitutional amendment by 24 State Houses of Assembly.

The movement said insecurity had continued to undermine economic opportunities, disrupt education and discourage investment, particularly among young Nigerians seeking to establish businesses and build sustainable livelihoods.

In a statement issued by its National Director of Public Affairs, Daniel Ogoloma, CBM said a properly structured state policing system could bring law enforcement closer to communities and improve responses to local security threats.

“Young Nigerians do not need another promise of opportunity. They need roads they can travel safely, businesses they can operate without fear and communities where they can pursue their ambitions in peace,” Ogoloma said.

The movement’s statement followed the approval of the Constitution (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by 24 state assemblies, meeting the two-thirds threshold required under Section 9(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The approval clears a major constitutional hurdle for the proposed reform, with the amendment expected to return to the National Assembly for transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.

Ogoloma commended the approving state assemblies, the National Assembly and Tinubu for advancing the proposal, which has remained a subject of national debate for decades.

He cited traders, technology entrepreneurs and farmers as groups that could benefit from improved local security, arguing that effective policing would help them operate with greater confidence.

He also urged the remaining state assemblies to support the amendment, saying broader participation would strengthen public confidence in the proposed framework.

“The constitutional threshold has been met, but the momentum must not stop here. Every state has young people whose future depends on safer communities. We encourage the remaining assemblies to lend their support to this important reform,” he said.

However, CBM noted that the constitutional approval was only one stage in the process of establishing state police.

The movement welcomed the ongoing work of the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill, whose draft legislation and consequential amendments were undergoing review at the Federal Ministry of Justice ahead of further consideration.

It stressed that the effectiveness of state police would depend on professionalism, adequate training, accountability and respect for fundamental human rights.

Ogoloma warned that state policing must not become an instrument of political intimidation or abuse of power, insisting that appropriate safeguards would be necessary to protect citizens and build public trust.

The movement reaffirmed its support for the Tinubu administration’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, adding that it would use its structures across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to promote public awareness and responsible civic engagement as the reform progresses.