Clamour for State Police Spur Division in the red Chambers

Division in the Senate over the clamour for state police in the constitution.

The senators expressed divergent views on decentralised policing during the retreat organised by the Senate Committe on Constitution Review in Kano, in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).

Although members of the committee unanimously agreed to include full autonomy for local governments in the constitution, they did not reach a consensus on state police.

However, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, led by Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, supported power devolution and state police.

The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Constitution Review, led by Jibrin Barau and Benjamin Kalu, are collating suggestions from various stakeholders nationwide on the proposed amendment.
According to the House of Representatives Committee, the assignment would be completed next year.

However, those against it said political opponents would be targeted by governors.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sani Musa (Niger), who supported state police, said: “When we are talking about state police, every state in this country is facing one insecurity or the other and I believe that if we look at the issue of state police, it good for us.”