The House of Representatives has begun consideration of President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill seeking to establish state police, signalling its readiness to adopt the version already passed by the Senate with only minor modifications.
The development marks a major step in the ongoing constitutional amendment process aimed at creating a multi-tier policing system to address Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and communal violence.
Speaking at the meeting of the House Committee on Constitution Review on Monday, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Benjamin Kalu, said members would undertake a clause-by-clause consideration of the executive bill, using the Senate-passed version as the committee’s primary working document.
He said the House was unlikely to depart significantly from the Senate’s work because both versions of the bill are substantially similar.
“The purpose of today’s meeting is to consider the executive bill clause by clause and make appropriate recommendations to the House. We must note that the Senate has already considered and adopted the bill with certain amendments, and copies of that version have been circulated to members. This document will serve as our working draft throughout this exercise.
