The House of Representatives has assured Nigerians that the proposed establishment of state police will not result in governors using the security outfit as private armies.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, gave the assurance on Wednesday during the National Security Roundtable held as part of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja.
Abbas said the House would subject the State Police Bill to thorough legislative scrutiny to ensure it strengthens community policing without undermining democracy, the rule of law or national security.
Describing the proposal as one of the most significant constitutional reforms before the National Assembly, the Speaker said the legislation is aimed at improving security through a decentralised policing system while maintaining appropriate federal oversight.
He noted that the initiative marks the first time a sitting President has formally transmitted an executive bill seeking the establishment of state police.
“State police will not be private armies for the various state governors,” Abbas said.
“For the first time in our history, a sitting President has made state police a central part of national reform. He has done so not with words alone, but with a bill that now sits before the House of Representatives.”
The Speaker reiterated the commitment of the House to ensuring that the proposed law, if passed, strikes a balance between enhancing local security and safeguarding democratic principles.
