House passes state police bill 289-1 as Kaduna lawmaker objects to rushed process
The House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment bill on Thursday to establish state police in Nigeria, with 289 lawmakers voting in favor and only one against. The bill seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to allow states to create their own police forces, ending the current federal-controlled Nigeria Police Force system.
This near-unanimous vote comes as communities nationwide grapple with rising insecurity including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and violent crimes. Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the amendment as a decentralized solution to bring policing closer to local communities facing these security challenges.
The sole dissenting vote came from Bashir Usman, APC-turned-ADC lawmaker representing Kaduna State's Birnin-Gwari/Giwa Federal Constituency. His objection wasn't against state police concept but against the rushed consideration - arguing lawmakers received the constitution review report only that afternoon and lacked adequate time to study its provisions before voting. He warned that informed decisions on security architecture require proper deliberation despite Nigeria's urgent security needs.
While his objection was overruled and the bill advanced, the 289-1 vote highlights both strong cross-party support for state police reform and the importance of legislative process even amid pressing security crises. The amendment now moves to the Senate for further consideration.