ADC, RULAAC, Sowore Raise Concerns Over Proposed State Police Bill

ADC, RULAAC, Sowore Raise Concerns Over Proposed State Police Bill The African Democratic Congress ADC, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre RULAAC, and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore have criticized the process surrounding the proposed State Police Bill, expressing concerns over transparency and the timing of the legislation as President Bola Tinubu’s administration pushes ahead with security sector reforms.

The critics argued that while the establishment of state police has long been advocated as a way to strengthen grassroots security and address rising insecurity, the current legislative process lacks sufficient public consultation and openness. They called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to make the draft bill widely available and allow meaningful engagement with citizens, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders before its passage. The ADC warned that introducing such a significant constitutional reform without broad public participation could undermine public confidence in the proposed policing framework. RULAAC also stressed that transparency is essential to ensuring accountability and preventing the misuse of state police by political officeholders.

Sowore, meanwhile, questioned the timing of the proposal, arguing that structural reforms to policing should be accompanied by broader reforms to governance, justice, and accountability. He maintained that simply creating state police forces without adequate institutional safeguards may not resolve Nigeria’s security challenges. The proposed State Police Bill forms part of the Tinubu administration’s broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s security architecture amid persistent concerns over terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. Supporters of the proposal argue that decentralising policing would improve intelligence gathering and enable faster responses to local security threats, while opponents continue to call for stronger legal safeguards and wider public consultation before the legislation is enacted.