The Labour Party has endorsed the proposed establishment of state police, describing the Senate’s passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill as a major step towards tackling insecurity and improving community-based policing.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, the party said the current centralised policing system has struggled to address Nigeria’s growing security challenges, making decentralised policing necessary.
While acknowledging concerns that state police could be abused by governors, the LP said the constitutional safeguards contained in the bill would help ensure accountability and prevent misuse.
The party called on governors and state Houses of Assembly to support the amendment as it moves through the constitutional review process, stressing that state policing could strengthen security and improve public safety if properly implemented.
The bill, passed by the Senate on Wednesday, still requires the approval of at least 24 state Houses of Assembly before it can be transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent