Bill to remove police from exclusive list passes second reading

Tayo AFOLABI

A Bill for an Act aimed at removing the police from exclusive list to concurrent list, towards enhancing security of lives and property in the country, on Tuesday, scaled second reading at the House of Representatives.

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Onofiok Luke (PDP-Akwa-Ibom) said it would help to reduce crimes at the grassroots, by complementing the role of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in crime control.

“We have had some security challenges and some states have had to set up state security apparatus to fill in the gap.

In his contribution, Rep. Tobi Ukechukwu (PDP-Enugu), said creation of state police was germane to the survival of the country.

“About an hour ago, we observed a minute silence in honour of those killed in Kaduna, children have been taken captives and we have had situation in this country that ordinarily this issue of state police should have been addressed,” he said.

Ukechukwu said the bill was a patriotic move by the sponsor, stressing that the exclusive list needed to shed weight and this would ensure a well secured country.

“There is no state that does not run its own vigilance group as at now, but they are lacking the power to bear arms, arrest and prosecute.

“We cannot be pretending that everything is okay, it is not a joke that schools are closed in Kaduna,” he said.

Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, put the bill to a voice vote and it was unanimously adopted and referred to the House Ad Hoc Committee on the review of 1999 Constitution.