The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, has renewed calls for the establishment of state police, describing it as the only practical solution to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja after returning from Geneva, Switzerland, where he represented Nigeria at the 55th WTO–Inter-Parliamentary Union Public Forum, Kalu faulted the country’s centralised policing structure, saying it was inadequate and outdated.
“The only way we can achieve this is by unbundling the centralised structure, just as other countries operate municipal and state policing systems,” he said.
The lawmaker explained that the state police bill currently before the National Assembly seeks to ensure quicker response to security threats while bringing Nigeria’s policing closer to international best practices.
He disclosed that a national public hearing on the bill has been scheduled for Monday, giving Nigerians an opportunity to make their voices heard.
While admitting concerns that state police could be misused, the Deputy Speaker stressed that the imperative of safeguarding lives and property outweighs such fears.
On international engagements, Kalu noted that Nigeria and other African delegations are pushing for Afrocentric issues to take centre stage at the WTO Ministerial Conference billed for Yaoundé, Cameroon, in March 2026.
“Africa and its problems must be on the table, not outside the room,” he said.
