The Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police, saying it would enhance security and create jobs.
The bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and related matters.
The passage followed the second reading, lead debate by the House Leader, Dr Suleiman Abdulrazak, and clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee of the Whole during plenary in Lokoja.
Presenting the bill, the Speaker of the House, Aliyu Yusuf, described the plenary as unique and historically significant.
The speaker said the session afforded lawmakers the opportunity to determine Kogi State’s position on the establishment of State Police.
Mr Yusuf said that State Police occupied a significant place in Nigeria’s nation-building process over the past decades.
According to him, individuals, groups and civil society organisations have called for its establishment to strengthen the nation’s security architecture.
President Bola Tinubu proposed the Constitution Alteration Bill to the National Assembly.
The bill was passed by the Senate with the concurrence of the House of Representatives before being transmitted to state Houses of Assembly for consideration.
This was in line with Section nine of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Mr Yusuf said the bill would empower states to recruit personnel with better knowledge of local security challenges and intelligence.
He said the personnel would complement the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in protecting lives and property.
“The structure of the State Police will ease and facilitate response time and limit bureaucracies that often stand against successful operations of the Nigeria Police Force,” the speaker said.
Mr Yusuf added that the bill, when passed and assented to, would reduce unemployment by creating jobs for youths.
Members of the Assembly, in their contributions, expressed strong support for the bill, saying it would enhance grassroots security, complement existing security agencies and create employment opportunities for youths.
After deliberations, the bill was passed through a unanimous voice vote by members.
In another development, the House considered a bill seeking to repeal the Bureau of Lands Law, 2025, and re-enact the Bureau of Lands (Establishment) Law, 2026, alongside related matters.
The bill scaled second reading and was passed after clause-by-clause consideration at the Committee of the Whole during plenary.
(NAN)