State Police: 34 States Endorse Bill, Katsina, Borno Say Work Ongoing

By George Okojie, Lagos; Nicholas Dekera, Abuja; Abu Nmodu, Minna; Khalid Idris Doya, Bauchi; Godwin Enna, Katsina; and Francis Okoye, Maiduguri

No fewer than 34 states had passed the State Police Bill as of yesterday, following the approval by four additional State Houses of Assembly in Lagos, Bauchi, Niger and Sokoto of the proposed alteration to the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of state police services.

The approvals bring the number of state assemblies that have endorsed the bill to 34, exceeding the constitutional requirement of 24 states, or two-thirds of the 36 state assemblies, needed for a constitutional alteration.

However, the two remaining states, Katsina and Borno, said work on the bill was still ongoing.

The states that have passed the bill are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, Bauchi and Niger.

Katsina State Police Bill Set for Third Reading, Says Assembly PRO

The Katsina State House of Assembly is preparing to advance the proposed State Police Bill to its third reading after it passed the first and second readings and was referred to a special committee for scrutiny.

The Assembly’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Magaji, disclosed that the bill, which was recently passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to state Houses of Assembly, had been formally presented before the Katsina legislature.

Magaji said the bill had passed the first and second readings, while a special committee headed by the House Leader had been constituted to examine its provisions.

“On the issue of the State Police Bill, it has been brought to the House and has gone through the first and second readings. A special committee was formed under the House Leader, and its members are working on it,” he said.

He added that the House was currently on recess and that the Speaker was out of town.

The referral to the special committee marks another step in the legislative process towards establishing a legal framework for the creation and operation of state police in Katsina State.

The committee is expected to scrutinise the bill and submit its findings and recommendations to the House for further consideration. These would guide subsequent deliberations by lawmakers.

The Assembly has indicated its intention to give the bill the necessary legislative attention, although the timing of its third reading and eventual passage remains subject to the House’s proceedings.

The proposed state police framework is part of broader efforts to decentralise policing and strengthen security responses to threats, including banditry and other criminal activities affecting communities across Katsina State.

Borno Assembly’s State Police Bill at Reading Stage, Says Clerk

The Clerk of the Borno State House of Assembly, Shettima Garba, has said that the State Police Bill is currently at the reading stage before the Assembly.

He explained that the bill was still undergoing legislative processes and had not been passed.

“The bill is still at the reading stage. It has not been passed. Members are still deliberating on it and will subject it to all necessary legislative scrutiny, including a public hearing where necessary,” the clerk said.