Four Nigerian assemblies approve state police constitutional bill
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Pmnewsnigeria
The assemblies of Kano, Sokoto, Ebonyi and Lagos have approved a draft amendment to Nigeria’s Constitution that would allow state police forces to be established. The bill would also retain the federal police, PM News Nigeria reports, noting that the votes took place in plenary sessions.
In Sokoto, MP Mustapha Abdullahi, deputy majority leader in the state assembly, said the bill would retain the Nigeria Police Force at federal level while dividing responsibilities between the two forces. The federal police would deal in particular with terrorism, cybercrime, cross-border crime and border security; state police would be responsible for public order, protecting people and property, and investigating local crimes, according to Pmnewsnigeria, which cited the NAN news agency. The federal police could also intervene in a state at the request of its governor or in the event of a collapse of public order, the MP said.
The bill was submitted by the executive, examined by the Senate on 24 June and by the House of Representatives on 23 July, before being presented to the Sokoto assembly on 22 September, Abdullahi said. The four assemblies passed the bill at plenary sessions on Tuesday. In Kano, lawmakers examined its 26 clauses before passing it, under the chairmanship of assembly speaker Jibril Ismail-Falgore.
This approval adds to the 24 Nigerian assemblies that approved mixed policing on 23 October. On 28 October, Kano also adopted a budget of 1,211 billion naira and the principle of state policing, according to the announcement about Kano.
