Abia says assembly passed state police bill, dismisses contrary reports

The Abia State Government has dismissed media reports claiming the State House of Assembly has not approved the proposed State Police Bill, maintaining that the legislature has already passed the legislation.

The government described the reports as inaccurate and misleading, saying the assembly had already endorsed the bill as part of efforts to establish state police and strengthen security across the country.

The clarification was contained in a statement issued by Ukoha Ukoha, the spokesperson to Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, and posted on Facebook on Thursday.

PREMIUM TIMES has not seen the media report which the state government described as inaccurate.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Abia State House of Assembly has since passed the State Police Bill, in line with the constitutional reform process and the commitment of the State to strengthening community-based policing and enhancing the security of lives and property,” the statement said.

“The passage of the Bill was a clear demonstration of Abia State’s readiness and proactive stance on State policing, as championed by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” it added.

The government’s clarification comes amid conflicting information about the status of the bill in Abia and other states.

On 4 November, the Senate announced that 30 of the 36 state Houses of Assembly had approved the proposed constitutional amendment and transmitted their resolutions to the National Assembly.

According to the Senate, Abia was among six states yet to transmit their resolutions, alongside Kano, Oyo, Cross River, Niger and Benue.

However, PREMIUM TIMES reported that records showed five of the six states had passed the proposal in their respective assemblies, although their resolutions had not been transmitted to the National Assembly.

The distinction between legislative approval and formal transmission of the resolution is significant in the ongoing constitutional amendment process.

The Senate subsequently gave the six outstanding states until 15 November to communicate their positions on the proposal.

The proposed establishment of state police is part of efforts to decentralise Nigeria’s policing system and allow state governments to establish and manage their own police services alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force.

The bill seeks to address concerns about the country’s centralised policing structure, which has faced criticism over its capacity to respond effectively to security challenges across the states.

The proposal was passed by the National Assembly before being transmitted to the 36 state legislatures on 16 September for consideration and approval.

Under Section 9 of the 1999 Constitution, a proposed constitutional amendment requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly—or 24 of the 36 states.

On 3 November, the National Assembly announced that 28 state assemblies had approved the proposal, exceeding the constitutional threshold.

If the constitutional amendment process is completed and the bill receives presidential assent, state governments will be able to establish their own police services, with the existing federal police structure retained.

Supporters of the reform argue that decentralising policing would improve intelligence gathering, strengthen community-based security and enable law enforcement agencies to respond more effectively to local security threats.

In its latest statement, the Abia State Government urged residents, journalists, and other stakeholders to disregard what it described as erroneous reports and obtain information from official government channels.

“The Abia State Government remains committed to transparency, accuracy in public discourse, and to working with the Federal Government and other States of the Federation to ensure the successful implementation of State Police in Nigeria,” the statement said.

The government also urged media organisations to verify information before publication to avoid misleading the public.