Reps Withdraw Earlier State Police Vote To Consider Tinubu Bill

The House of Representatives has withdrawn its earlier approval of a state police amendment bill and opened fresh consideration of President Bola Tinubu’s revised proposal.

The move is a follow-up to Tinubu’s earlier transmission of the bill, which NaijaTrend reported here. Lawmakers passed the new executive proposal for second reading after setting aside the version they had already approved.

Francis Waive, chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, moved the motion that reversed the chamber’s earlier position. He told lawmakers that new issues in the proposed law required a closer review before the House could proceed.

The House had approved constitutional amendments on June 11, including provisions for state police, and later named a 12-member conference committee to harmonise its position with the Senate. That decision has now been withdrawn.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said the executive proposal would get quick attention because of the urgency of Nigeria’s security problems, but he also said it would still face public hearing and scrutiny before passage.

The new proposal gives clearer responsibilities to federal and state police services. Federal police would handle federal laws, the Federal Capital Territory, federal institutions, organised crime, terrorism, cybercrime, arms trafficking, border security and matters with national or cross-border dimensions.

State police would be responsible for enforcing state laws, maintaining public order, preventing and detecting offences within their powers, and protecting life and property inside their states.

The proposal also gives the Federal Government wider powers to step in when a state police service is overwhelmed, used for serious rights violations, deployed for partisan or ethnic intimidation, or when a threat crosses state boundaries. Daily Trust reported that such intervention would have to be temporary, written, reported to key authorities within 48 hours, and subject to Senate approval if it continues beyond the period allowed by law.

Another clause would stop governors from ordering state police to target named individuals, political parties or groups outside the law. The bill also proposes stronger protection from arbitrary removal for the Inspector-General of Police and state Commissioners of Police.

Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust