Thirteen State Houses of Assembly have backed the proposed creation of state police, raising fresh hopes for the long-awaited reform as pressure mounts on state legislatures to meet the constitutional requirements for decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.
Eight assemblies — Kwara, Taraba, Nasarawa, Ogun, Delta, Cross River, Plateau and Enugu — approved the proposal on Tuesday, bringing the number of states supporting the measure to 13.
The development came as the Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill submitted the proposed legislation and 29 consequential amendment bills to the Federal Ministry of Justice for review.
The Chief of Staff to the President and chairman of the working group, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in Abuja, saying the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, would review the drafts to ensure compliance with legislative standards and existing laws.
The ministry is expected to return the validated bills to the working group by October 30