Nigeria: Jigawa Assembly Passes State Police Bill

What the report says

The Jigawa State House of Assembly has approved a bill to establish state police after completing weeks of legislative review, according to a Leadership report distributed by AllAfrica. The vote took place during plenary in the state legislature, where members unanimously backed the measure. Speaker Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin said the chamber took time to examine the proposal carefully before passing it.

Dangyatin said the Assembly received the bill while it was on recess and began work on it once lawmakers returned. He argued that a locally rooted police structure could help address Nigeria’s security problems by using officers who understand their communities, terrain and culture. His comments reflect the wider national debate over whether state-level policing would improve public safety in a country where security responsibilities are currently centered largely at the federal level.

The Speaker also sought to ease concerns that governors might misuse state police against opponents, saying the framework would be governed by law. He added that the Jigawa government would need to fund training and equipment properly if the system is implemented. Dangyatin also credited President Bola Tinubu with supporting the broader push for state police, while noting that the passage in Jigawa completes the state legislature’s role in considering the bill.