Reps Withdraw Own State Police Bill, Back Tinubu’s Proposal

The House of Representatives has withdrawn its own proposed constitutional amendment seeking to establish state police, opting instead to advance the Executive-backed version transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The decision was taken during Tuesday’s plenary, where lawmakers gave the Executive-sponsored state police bill its first and second readings before referring it to the House Committee on Constitutional Review for further legislative consideration.

The move effectively suspends the House’s earlier proposal as lawmakers consolidate deliberations around the Executive’s constitutional amendment, which seeks to establish state police as part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture.

The committee is expected to scrutinise the bill’s provisions and make recommendations before it returns to the House for further debate and voting. The proposal forms part of broader constitutional reform efforts aimed at addressing persistent security challenges through decentralised policing.

The latest development marks another significant step in the National Assembly’s consideration of state policing, a long-debated reform that supporters believe could strengthen local security and improve responses to crime and insecurity across the country.