Reps pass state police bill for second reading

Reps pass state police bill for second reading

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed for second reading a bill seeking the establishment of state police in the country.

The bill seeks the amendment of some sections of the 1999 Constitution to allow state governments to establish their own policing outfits.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, and 14 others are the sponsors of the bill.

Kalu, who presided over the plenary on Tuesday representing the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, urged members to look beyond political ambitions and think about the safety of Nigerians and Nigeria.

Also speaking, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) said, “It is the job of the police to maintain law and order.

“We have a population of over 200m people but we have a police strength that is less than 400,000. State Police should be created to address the internal security challenges of Nigeria.”