State police bill makes progress in House of Representatives

It would be recalled that the governors had called for the creation of state police during their meeting in Lagos.

On Tuesday, the bill, sponsored by Luke Onofiok seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution, and if passed, will allow states to create their police units.

The bill is proposing to delete police from the exclusive legislative list and put it in the concurrent legislative list.

The implication is that states and the federal government can create police units.

Leading the debate on the bill, he said “this Bill seeks to excise Item 45 (Police and other government security services) from the Exclusive Legislative List and place same on the Concurrent Legislative List to give allowance for different state governments to legislate on security matters.”

Speaking in support of the bill, Toby Okechukwu, the Deputy Minority leader, said the creation of state police was important.

He decried the security situation in the country and called for the passage of the bill.