Bill to create State Police scales second reading

A bill to empower State governments to create their own police force has scaled second reading at the House of Representatives.

The calls for State Police has been on the rise in recent weeks following the spate of terrorist and banditry attacks across the country.

The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu and 14 others, seeks to alter the relevant Sections of the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for States to establish their own policing outfits.

As lawmakers took turns to contribute to the debate on the floor of the House during Tuesday’s plenary, Kalu, who stood in for the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, urged members to look beyond political ambitions and think about the safety of Nigerians and Nigeria.

Also speaking, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) said, “It is the job of the police to maintain law and order.

“We have a population of over 200 million people, but we have a police strength that is less than 400,000. State Police should be created to address the internal security challenges of Nigeria.”

President Tinubu last Thursday as part of the outcome of his meeting in company of Vice President Kashim Shettima with the 36 state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held at the State House in Abuja, had informed the Governors that the Federal Government will work with them and the National Assembly towards putting in place a mechanism that will engender state police instead of the vigilantes that are being used in some states.

This is just as it was disclosed that more police personnel are to be recruited to strengthen the force.

The President, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, charged the Governors to strengthen their Forest Rangers and arm them to keep all the forests safe from criminals, as modalities for State Police and addressing security issues are to be discussed further at the National Economic Council.