The Kwara State House of Assembly has approved a proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for establishing the state police.
The assembly approved the amendment during Tuesday’s plenary after the speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, read a letter from the clerk of the National Assembly on the proposed constitutional amendment.
“The Kwara State House of Assembly has approved the proposed amendment to the 1999 Constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of state police,” a statement issued by Abdulkadir Yusuf, the chief press secretary to Mr Danladi, read.
According to the statement, the approval came after House Leader Mogaji Oba Abdulkadri enumerated the various merits of the proposed amendment to the country’s policing system.
“Other lawmakers who spoke on the constitution amendment opined that the alteration will bring police closer to the people, thereby improving the security of life and property of people across the country,” it added.
The statement noted that Mr Danladi directed the clerk of the House, Ahmed Olayiwola, to communicate the assembly’s decision to the National Assembly for further action.
The approval came amid ongoing efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow states to establish their own police services to strengthen security across the country.
The National Assembly had forwarded the proposed constitutional amendment to state legislatures for consideration, as 25 out of the 36 state Houses of Assembly must approve a constitutional alteration before it can proceed to the next stage.
While state policing has been considered necessary to decentralise policing, improve intelligence gathering and enable faster responses to local security threats, including kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes, the proposal has faced criticism over possible abuse by state governors.
The approval by the Kwara assembly marks a significant step in the state government’s efforts to address killings, kidnappings and other violent crimes in the state.
Meanwhile, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, said last Thursday that the presidency will transmit the National Policing Bill to the National Assembly within two weeks.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90% ready. The governors have one or two observations, and we should be ready in about a week or so,” Mr Gbajabiamila said.