State Police: When Numbers Add Up But Records Don’t
As 30 State Houses of Assembly back the constitutional amendment, a puzzling information gap over Abia and Kano states, and fears of political abuse ahead of 2027, demand urgent safeguards.
In a critical constitutional phase for Nigeria's policing architecture, 30 out of 36 State Houses of Assembly have approved the proposed amendment to establish State Police, surpassing the required two-thirds majority. However, an information gap has emerged over the approvals from Abia and Kano states, raising concerns about the management of this reform.
The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, claimed that 30 state legislatures had approved the amendment, listing the six remaining states as Benue, Oyo, Cross River, Niger, Abia, and Kano. Abia disputed this claim, stating that their state assembly had passed the bill as part of a reform to strengthen community-based policing.
Kano's Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau, acknowledged a delay in responding but maintained that the legislature had done what was necessary. The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, welcomed the news, but these developments have sparked questions about the communication between the federal legislature and state assemblies, as well as the verification mechanisms within the National Assembly.
The Clerk to the National Assembly has requested reliable verification mechanisms to ensure accurate records of all 36 states' decisions by November 15, 2026.
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