The Borno State House of Assembly has approved the proposed alteration of the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of a State Police Service, clearing the way for the transmission of the state legislature’s resolution to the National Assembly.
Lawmakers approved the constitutional amendment during plenary, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Engineer Abdullahi Musa Askira, following deliberations in the Committee of the Whole.
The House considered the proposal, listed on the Order Paper as a bill to alter the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, to establish a State Police Service and related matters, before adopting the resolution.
The leader of the House, Dige Mohammed, representing Kala Balge State Constituency, moved the motion for the House to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole to deliberate on the proposed amendment. The motion was seconded by Baba Ali Modu, representing Mafa State Constituency.
At the end of deliberations, the Deputy Speaker announced that the House had agreed to the proposed constitutional alteration establishing the State Police Service.
Mohammed subsequently moved to adopt the resolutions reached during the Committee of the Whole. The motion was seconded by Jamna Bong, representing Abadam State Constituency.
Following the adoption of the resolution, Askira directed the Clerk of the House to compile the signed copies of the resolutions for onward transmission to the National Assembly.
The proposed amendment comes amid ongoing discussions on establishing state police as an additional security arrangement to complement the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies.
Speaking in separate interviews, Abba Kyari Abba Kolo, representing Jere State Constituency, and Bukar Modu, representing Konduga State Constituency, said the proposed State Police Service could strengthen security operations in Borno State.
They argued that, given the state’s security challenges, a state-level policing structure could complement the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies.
