Recovered Toyota Corolla and suspect paraded by Akwa Ibom State Police Command following a car theft operation.
The House of Representatives has passed a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police, advancing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture and strengthen community-based policing.
Lawmakers approved the bill on Thursday after adopting the report of the House Committee on Constitution Review during consideration in the Committee of the Whole.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the session, said 311 lawmakers participated in the vote, with 276 physically present and 35 joining virtually through the House’s electronic platform. He said the turnout exceeded the two-thirds majority required to amend the Constitution.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu described the proposal as a landmark reform aimed at improving security across the country.
Kalu said the amendment would bring policing closer to communities, strengthen intelligence gathering, improve coordination among security agencies and enable state governments to respond more effectively to emerging security threats.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for transmitting the Executive Bill on state police to the National Assembly, saying it complements the House’s constitutional amendment process and reinforces the legal framework for the proposed reform.
According to Kalu, the amendment provides the constitutional foundation for a professional, accountable and community-focused state police system, while its operational structure will be defined through subsequent legislation.
He urged lawmakers to support the measure, describing it as a practical response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
The bill will proceed to the Senate for concurrence. If approved, it will be transmitted to the President for assent, moving Nigeria closer to one of its most significant security reforms in decades.
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