A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has welcomed Nigeria’s move toward establishing state police following the passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill by the Senate.
Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, described the proposed reform as a significant step toward strengthening local security structures and improving the capacity of states to respond to security challenges.
Speaking through a statement shared on his official 𝕏 account, the U.S. lawmaker said he had consistently advocated for the creation of state-level policing in Nigeria, particularly in relation to concerns about insecurity and attacks affecting Christian communities.
According to him, decentralising policing would allow states to better protect residents and reduce reliance on decisions taken at the federal level.
Moore stated that empowering states with security responsibilities could improve local intelligence gathering and strengthen public safety efforts.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the constitutional amendment process that seeks to establish state police.
However, he noted that the proposal has not yet become law and must still secure ratification by at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s state Houses of Assembly before implementation.
The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking the establishment of state police after obtaining the required legislative support.
The proposed framework seeks to introduce a state policing system that would operate alongside the existing federal police structure.
Under the bill, state governors would be empowered to appoint Commissioners of Police subject to confirmation by their respective State Houses of Assembly.
The legislation also includes provisions aimed at preventing abuse of state policing powers, including safeguards against using security agencies to target individuals or groups for lawful criticism of government.
The proposal remains subject to further constitutional procedures before it can take effect nationwide.
