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The Enugu State House of Assembly Tuesday passed into law an alteration bill of the 1999 constitution for the establishment of state police.
The House passed the alteration bill as part of efforts to amend the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide a legal framework for state policing.
Speaking in support of the bill, member representing Ezeagu state constituency, Hon.Chima Obieze, described the alteration bill as a game-changer, saying it was coming at the right time.
Obieze noted that the establishment of state police would discentralise the policing architecture of the country, which according to him, would be more effective in the protection of lives and property across the state.
He expressing optimism that decentralising Nigeria’s policing system would strengthen security and improve responses to threats in local communities, reiterating that it would enable police in the state to address local security challenges.
Also contributing, Hon. Okey Mbah representing Nkanu East state constituency, argued that establishment of state police would curtail incessant violence and herdsmen attacks in different parts of the state.
While citing the attack on Nimbo community, Mbah disclosed that despite repeated security warnings about the incident, the security operatives failed to respond effectively, which contributed to loss of lives.
He argued that a decentralised policing structure could improve intelligence gathering and response to security threats, particularly attacks on farming communities.
The member representing Enugu East state constituency, Hon. Osita Okoh, said the bill was an opportunity to advance a long-standing call for reforms in Nigeria’s security architecture, hinting it would give governors greater practical authority to address security challenges in their respective states, as chief security officers.
However, Hon. Harrison Ogara, Igbo-South constituency, expressed concern that state police formations could be used to intimidate political opponents or suppress dissent if adequate safeguards were not put in place.
Ogara stressed the need for effective oversight mechanisms to prevent political interference and ensure that state police personnel operated professionally and in accordance with the law.
He also raised concerns about the funding and control of state police, arguing that the proposed system must have clear accountability structures and sustainable financing arrangements to ensure its effectiveness.
Shortly after the passage of the bill, the Speaker of the House, Chief Uche Ugwu, said the importance of state policing could not be overemphasised, arguing that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure required fundamental reform to address the country’s diverse security challenges.
Ugwu said ethnic considerations and perceived bias had undermined public confidence in the existing policing arrangement, making a decentralised system worthy of consideration.
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