Nigeria’s House of Representatives has passed the State Police Bill, advancing efforts to decentralise the country’s security framework.
The proposed legislation received strong backing during Thursday’s plenary, with 289 lawmakers voting in favour out of 290 members present. The session was presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.
The lower chamber had earmarked the sitting for deliberation and decision on the bill amid mounting concerns over insecurity, including incidents of kidnapping, banditry and violent attacks across various parts of the country.
Proceedings were briefly disrupted when a lawmaker from Kaduna State, Bashir Zubairu, raised a procedural objection. He argued that members had insufficient time to review the report submitted by the Committee on Constitution Review, which was circulated earlier in the day.
Despite the concern, the Speaker overruled the objection and directed that deliberations continue.
During the clause-by-clause consideration, some lawmakers attempted to raise further points of order, but the presiding officer declined additional interruptions.
The chamber also faced a technical setback as the electronic voting system failed, prompting the leadership to adopt a manual method based on attendance.
At the conclusion of voting, 289 members supported the bill, while one voted against it. The Speaker did not cast a vote.
The passage of the bill represents a significant legislative milestone in ongoing discussions around restructuring Nigeria’s policing system.
