SENATE INTRODUCES STATE POLICE BILL, GIVES BILL FIRST READING

By: Jumoke Olasoji

In its resolve to amend the Constitution of Nigeria, to allow for state policing and enhance the security architecture of the nation, The  Nigerian Senate via its Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu, has on Thursday presented a Bill to that effect.

The bill, titled, “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) Bill, 2018”, sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and 75 other senators has also on Thursday, received its first reading on the floor of the upper chamber. 

The bill which seeks an amendment to the Nigerian Constitution to accommodate state and community policing will allow state governors establish and manage a police force within their states. This decision of the Senate is prompted by the unending crisis and killings across Nigeria.

Welcoming his colleagues from their last break, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki,declared that it was high time the Senate took a stand on the security architecture in Nigeria.

“We have talked about the fact that whether these killings were initial acts of aggression or reprisal attacks, it is clear that either way, it is totally unacceptable and we must condemn it in all totality,” he said. 

“Secondly, these are acts of criminality and we should not encourage any other colouration to it, be it religious or otherwise. This is criminality. And as such, we have a role to ensure that we must address this criminality to see how we can fight it. 

“We have spoken on many platforms and made suggestions to the Executive on the fact that there is a need for an urgent review of the security architecture of the nation.” 

Having made suggestions and listened to security agencies over the killings, Saraki said it was important for the lawmakers to do their own part.

“We as the Senate must come up with our own actions. We do not need to flog the issue. We have told the Executive what to do. We have told them privately and we have told them publicly. 

However, on our own part, we must decide on what we need to do.”
 
The Senate had on July 4 directed its Constitution Review Committee to put in motion a machinery to amend the Constitution to allow for the creation of State Police. 

It had also resolved to call on security agencies to stop involving themselves in the politics of the nation.

Calls for state police have grown in recent months with rising incidences of mass killings in many parts of the country.