He reassured citizens that the bill contains safeguards designed to prevent the misuse of these new security bodies by governors as political tools. The initiative aims to strengthen community policing while maintaining national oversight, reflecting a significant legislative reform supported by President Bola Tinubu, who has formally proposed this amendment for the first time in Nigeria’s history.
During his remarks at the National Security Roundtable, Abbas emphasized the urgency of the reform, highlighting the inadequacies of a centrally-controlled police system in addressing the nation’s complex security challenges, which include banditry, kidnapping, and violent conflicts. He argued that Nigeria’s vast population and diverse security needs require local policing solutions. The proposed legislation plans to rename the Nigeria Police Force to the Federal Police Service and allows states, upon legislative approval, to establish their own police services.
Abbas further outlined that no state police can begin operations without meeting nationally established standards and that the Federal Police will continue to oversee matters of terrorism and federal offenses. Additionally, the bill includes measures for the Federal Police to intervene if a state police force is mismanaged or collapses under certain conditions, ensuring accountability.
A phased implementation of state policing is advocated, suggesting a cautious approach to avoid simultaneous establishment across all states, which could strain resources. Abbas underscored the importance of financial sustainability for these state forces and called for a clear funding framework to prevent any situation where an unpaid officer might become a threat.
He also proposed establishing a national criminal database and urged for better intelligence sharing among security agencies. While the debate over state policing has been contentious for over two decades, the formal introduction of this bill by President Tinubu represents a pivotal step in Nigeria’s constitutional amendment discussions, aiming to enhance both security and democratic accountability in law enforcement. Abbas summed up the House’s commitment to ensuring that the created police service effectively protects all citizens, irrespective of their social status.
