Reps Prioritise State Police Vote as Insecurity Concerns Mount…Constitution amendment proposal takes centre stage this week

The House of Representatives has announced plans to prioritise voting on constitutional amendment bills seeking to establish state police, in what lawmakers describe as a critical step toward addressing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the House Committee on Constitution Review, , disclosed this during a media briefing after plenary on Wednesday.

Kalu said the state police proposal had been moved ahead of other constitutional amendment bills scheduled for consideration, reflecting the urgency attached to the country’s security situation.

According to him, members of the House currently on oversight assignments outside Abuja have been directed to return to the National Assembly in preparation for Thursday’s vote on the proposal.

The Deputy Speaker noted that the House is determined to advance reforms aimed at decentralising policing and strengthening security architecture across the country.

The move comes as both chambers of the National Assembly intensify efforts to review key provisions of the Constitution, with state policing emerging as one of the most debated reforms in recent years.

Supporters of the proposal argue that creating state police would enable quicker responses to local security threats, improve intelligence gathering, and complement the operations of federal security agencies.

If approved by the National Assembly and subsequently endorsed through the constitutional amendment process, the proposal could significantly alter Nigeria’s policing structure by allowing state governments to establish and manage their own police formations.

The House is expected to take a decisive vote on the measure this week as lawmakers seek solutions to persistent security challenges across various parts of the country.