Former Nigeria’s military Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), ex-President, Goodluck Jonathan and retired Catholic Archbishop, John Onaiyekan are some of the eminent personalities currently gathered in Abuja for a national dialogue on state policing, on Monday.

Organised by the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the dialogue is the beginning of deliberations on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (alteration) bill 2023 (Establishment of State Police) sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu and 13 others.

The bill is designed to improve public safety and strengthen law enforcement in Nigeria by decentralising the police. The proposal in the bill provides for state police alongside the federal police and outlines a constitutional framework for states that choose to establish and maintain their service.

In his welcome address, Kalu who chairs the House Constitution Review Committee noted that the bill “aims to clarify the scope of the powers and responsibilities of the federal and state police, and to provide for their funding and oversight.”

Details later…