Reps back State Police, refer bill to constitution review c’ttee

The House of representatives on Tuesday read for a second time, a bill seeking to alter Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to provide for the establishment of state and community police in the country.

The bill also seeks to replace the word “force” in the nomenclature of the police with “service”.

Sponsor of the bill, Rep. Dada Awoyele, in his lead debate said that the alteration has become necessary given the rate of insecurity in the country.

He argued that the establishment of state and community police is necessary as it would equip officers with the requisite knowledge of the terrains in which they work, adding that “the police is supposed to be for the people. Inhabitants of these communities will see the police as part of their communities.

“State and community policing is necessary because they know the terrain of these localities”.

Contributing to the debate, Rep. Oladele Kayode said the establishment of state and community police was long overdue as the current structure of the nation’s police is colonial in nature.

Rep. Oladele stated that decentralised policing will afford states and communities the opportunity to determine the number of officers it requires to provide adequate security for lives and properties.

The bill was referred to the special committee on constitution review chaired by Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun.