The House of Representatives has approved the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police, despite a protest and walkout by members of the minority caucus over the voting procedure.
The bill, transmitted by President Bola Tinubu, aims to decentralise policing, strengthen community security, improve intelligence gathering and enable state governments to respond more effectively to insecurity.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who chairs the Constitution Review Committee, described the proposal as a landmark reform, saying it only provides the constitutional foundation for state police, while operational issues such as recruitment, funding and oversight would be addressed through future legislation.
Tension erupted during the Committee of the Whole after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas put the bill to a voice vote instead of considering its 26 clauses individually, as opposition lawmakers argued constitutional amendment procedures required.
Minority lawmakers walked out of the chamber, insisting they supported state police but opposed what they described as a breach of parliamentary rules and constitutional provisions governing amendments.
The minority caucus also questioned the method used to determine quorum and argued that lawmakers were denied the opportunity to scrutinise and amend individual clauses before the bill was passed.
In a separate memorandum, the caucus called for further review of the bill, citing concerns over legal gaps, governance issues and funding, while proposing that states receive an additional 15 per cent of the Federation Account allocation to finance state policing.
The bill must still secure Senate approval, be endorsed by at least 24 state Houses of Assembly and receive presidential assent before State Police can become part of Nigeria’s Constitution.
