Lone Lawmaker Opposes State Police Bill in Nigeria's House of Representatives, Citing Rush

Nigeria's House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment bill that paves the way for the establishment of state police forces. This move aims to decentralize the nation's policing system, currently dominated by the federal government through the Nigeria Police Force. The bill's passage followed widespread concerns about escalating insecurity across the country, with lawmakers supporting the proposal to bring policing closer to local communities. However, one lawmaker, Bashir Usman, representing the Birnin-Gwari/Giwa Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, stood alone in opposing the bill. Usman's objection was not against security reform itself but centered on the perceived rushed consideration of the constitutional review report. He argued that lawmakers had insufficient time to study the report's contents before the vote, stating, "We received this document this afternoon. We cannot know what is in this constitution review committee issue. Allow us to go back and study this book and come back and discuss about this issue." Despite Usman's point of order, which was overruled by the presiding officer, he also questioned the readiness of existing security institutions to manage a decentralized structure. He stressed that establishing state police requires careful deliberation due to Nigeria's complex security challenges, warning against the creation of additional problems. Security, he emphasized, remains a national concern demanding thorough consideration.

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Mr Speaker, we received this document this afternoon. We cannot know what is in this constitution review committee issue. Allow us to go back and study this book and come back and discuss about this issue.