Stakeholders Push for State Police at Abuja Meeting

During the ARISE Town Hall Meeting held in Abuja, stakeholders, including legal experts and security specialists, advocated for the establishment of state police to address Nigeria's worsening insecurity. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak delivered a keynote address, describing the establishment of state police as a step in the right direction, given Nigeria's vast geography and complex security challenges.

He cautioned that decentralization must be accompanied by carefully crafted legislation to prevent political abuse. Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, announced that the National Assembly had commenced the final legislative process to establish state police, with a committee formed to harmonize different versions of the state police bill already passed by the Senate.

Kalu emphasized that state police should operate within a national framework, focusing on local law enforcement and community security, while ensuring that the federal police continues to handle national security interests.