Ondo proposes state police in Nigeria
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
Nigeria’s Ondo State Assembly has passed a constitutional amendment bill to establish state police services. The bill is to be sent to the National Assembly, with its proponents arguing that community policing would improve intelligence and responses to crime, the Nigerian News Agency reports.
The Ondo State House of Assembly, in south-west Nigeria, passed a bill on Monday seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to allow the creation of state police services. The Nigerian News Agency (NAN) reports that the bill is to be sent to the National Assembly for consideration.
The bill was sent to the Ondo Assembly by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, in a letter read on 24 September by the Speaker of the state Assembly, Olamide Oladiji. Majority Leader Olatunji Oshati defended the measure, saying state police would help address the country’s security challenges. Oladiji also said local police services could speed up responses and improve local intelligence.
Ondo’s vote follows 24 Nigerian states paving the way for a two-tier police system, according to an earlier article published on 23 October. The bill must now be considered by the National Assembly, in line with the announced legislative process.
