The Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday renewed its push for the establishment of a fully autonomous state police, urging state legislatures across the country to fast-track approval of the constitutional amendment.
The assembly also advanced a bill to outlaw street begging and related activities in Lagos.
The two security-focused measures dominated the plenary as lawmakers argued that decentralised policing and stricter regulation of street begging were critical to addressing rising security concerns across the state.
Presiding over the session, Speaker of the House Mudashiru Obasa described state police as Nigeria’s best opportunity to tackle insecurity, insisting that any constitutional framework establishing the system must grant states operational and administrative independence.
“The initiative remains the most practical solution to the security challenges confronting the country, including kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes,” Obasa said.
