Nigerian Senate pass bill to establish state police

Di Nigerian Senate don pass constitutional amendment bill to establish state police for Nigeria.

Di lawmakers pass di bill on Wednesday, 24 June.

Di passage dey come almost two weeks afta di Nigerian House of Representatives pass di bill.

As dem don pass am, di law go replace di current Nigeria Police Force structure wit two system - one Federal Police Service and State Police Services.

Di lawmakers consider di bill afta di Senate leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele present di general principles. Afta dat, e pass second reading, and dem check am clause-by-clause and e pass di third reading.

Dem pass di bill afta serious clause-by-clause consideration, and afta more dan two third of di senators vote in support of am.

One key provision of di bill na say e go give state govnors power to appoint Commissioners of Police for dia states, afta e don pass through di state Houses of Assembly.

Wetin dey inside di bill

Under Clause 17 of di proposed constitutional amendment, "State Police Service go get head wey be di Commissioner of Police for di state. Na di state govnor go appoint am based on recommendation from di National Police Council, and di State House of Assembly must confam am. Di pesin must also meet di qualifications and national minimum standards wey National Assembly go set by law."

Di bill also explain how govnors and state police go take work togeda. Section 17(6) tok say; "govnor fit issue lawful written directives of general policy give di commissioner of police on matas wey concern public safety and public order within di state."

To eliminate fears of possible abuse of di proposed policing structure, lawmakers include safeguards wey go help protect political freedoms and civil liberties.

Section 17(7) tok am clearly say, "State Commissioner of Police no go fit arrest, detain, investigate or use force against any pesin, political party or group just becos dem criticise govment, except if na in accordance wit di law."

Dem design di provision to make sure say authorities no use state police against political opponents, activists, journalists oda pipo wey dey speak against govment. E also ensure say any action wey dem take must follow due process and existing laws.

E also tok for section 214 say, "Di Federal Police Service fit step in temporarily for state internal security affairs, and fit to di extent necessary, take some operational control, wey include temporary command of State Police or any part of am, only wia – (a) public order or safety don break down or e dey about to break down, and State Police no fit or no gree handle am; (b) di State Govnor request for Federal intervention, etc."

E still tok say, “Any intervention wey dem mention for subsection (10) must get written approval from di President, and di approval must explain di reason, di area wey e concern, di work wey dem go do, and how long e go take. Dem must also inform di State Govnor, di Speaker of di State House of Assembly, di National Police Council, plus di National Assembly within 48 hours afta di intervention start.

(13) No such intervention go continue pass di time wey di National Assembly law allow, except Senate approve am by resolution according to di law."

Di passage of di bill by di upper chamber bin come one day afta President Bola Tinubu send one constitution amendment bill go Senate wey want make Nigeria get state police as part of efforts to reform di kontri security system.

According to President Tinubu, di bill go provide legal framework for dual policing system for Nigeria, wey go allow states create and run dia own police services alongside di federal police.

E tok say di proposed amendment na important part of efforts to reorganise di kontri policing system so security fit improve and citizens fit get beta protection.

President Tinubu add say communities, villages and local govment areas go play bigger role for policing responsibilities under di new arrangement.

Afta di presentation of di bill to di Senate bifor im passage, Akpabio bin refer am go Senate Committee on Constitutional Review and direct dem to report back on Wednesday.

E tok about di importance of community-based security, saying local authorities go beta know suspicious activities and fit quickly alert security agencies.

"You go know wen foreigners don infiltrate Nigeria and alert security agencies so dem fit react proactively instead of reactively," di lawmaker tok, expressing confidence say cooperation between di executive and legislative arms go make di initiative dey successful.