Nigeria's House of Representatives Passes State Police Bill

Nigeria's House of Representatives has passed a bill to establish state police, a move that will decentralize the nation's policing system. The resolution saw 289 lawmakers vote in favor during a plenary session on Thursday, led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. The session was dedicated to voting on the State Police Bill, prompted by a recent surge in killings, kidnappings, and banditry.

The process was not without contention. Kaduna lawmaker Bashir Zubairu raised a point of order, arguing that the document on state police, prepared by the House Committee on Constitution Review, was only distributed that afternoon. He contended that lawmakers had insufficient time to review it. However, the Speaker ruled him out of order, allowing the process to continue despite some members shouting "Point of Order."

Before the vote, Speaker Abbas announced that the electronic voting system was malfunctioning, necessitating a vote based on attendance. Out of 290 members present, 289 supported the state police bill, with one member voting against it. The Speaker abstained from the vote. The passage of this bill marks a significant legislative step in addressing the country's security challenges.