Several prominent figures, including former Nigeria’s military Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and retired Catholic Archbishop John Onaiyekan, have convened in Abuja for a national dialogue on state policing.
The dialogue, organised by the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, is the beginning of deliberations on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (alteration) Bill 2023 (Establishment of State Police) sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu and 13 others.
This bill, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and 13 others, aims to enhance public safety and reinforce law enforcement in Nigeria by decentralising the police force.
It proposes the inclusion of state police alongside the federal police, providing a constitutional framework for states interested in establishing and maintaining their law enforcement agencies.
Kalu, who chairs the House Constitution Review Committee, explained that the bill “aims to clarify the scope of the powers and responsibilities of the federal and state police, and to provide for their funding and oversight”
