A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has welcomed the passage of Nigeria’s Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police across the country.
Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, said the proposed reform would strengthen security by allowing states to take greater responsibility for protecting residents instead of relying solely on decisions from the federal government.
The U.S. lawmaker made his position known in a post shared on his X account on Wednesday, shortly after the Nigerian Senate approved the bill.
State Police Critical To Tackling Insecurity
According to Moore, he has consistently advocated for the creation of state-controlled police forces in Nigeria, particularly in the context of addressing insecurity and attacks on Christian communities.
“I’m encouraged to see Nigeria’s Senate approve legislation to establish state-level police forces, a reform I’ve called for publicly and privately since I first started investigating the genocide against Christians in Nigeria,” he wrote.
He added that empowering states to manage local security challenges would help improve the protection of citizens and reduce dependence on centralised security decisions.
“I can’t stress how critical this law that will empower states to protect their own citizens and reduce dependence on decision makers in Abuja is to the effort to defend persecuted Christians and address insecurity,” Moore stated.
Tinubu Commended For Supporting Reform
The American congressman also praised President Bola Tinubu for backing the proposed constitutional amendment.
According to him, the president deserves recognition for pushing the reform despite the lengthy legislative process required to make it law.
“President Tinubu deserves credit for pushing it forward,” Moore said.
However, he noted that the proposal has not yet become law and must still secure the support of at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s State Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.
What The Bill Provides
The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill on State Police after more than two-thirds of lawmakers voted in favour of the proposal.
The bill seeks to create state police services that will operate alongside the Nigeria Police Force as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
Also Read: Senate Passes Constitutional Amendment Bill To Establish State Police
Under the proposed framework, state governors would have the power to appoint commissioners of police for their states, subject to confirmation by their respective State Houses of Assembly.
The legislation also includes safeguards aimed at preventing abuse of power by state authorities. Among its provisions is a clause prohibiting the use of state police against individuals or groups solely for criticising a state government, except where permitted by law.
Before becoming part of the Constitution, the amendment must receive approval from at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 State Houses of Assembly and complete other constitutional requirements.