The Jigawa State House of Assembly has endorsed the proposed State Police Bill, with Speaker Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin saying the initiative will strengthen grassroots security, improve responses to local threats and create employment opportunities for youths.
Dangyatin disclosed this on Wednesday after the House endorsed the bill during plenary at the Assembly Complex, describing the proposed state police system as a necessary step towards addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.
He said decentralising policing would enable security personnel to respond more effectively to threats by drawing on their knowledge of local terrain, communities and security dynamics.
According to the Speaker, the decision followed extensive deliberations by the Assembly and consultations with traditional rulers, civil society organisations and professional bodies.
He explained that the National Assembly transmitted the proposed constitutional amendment to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 23, 2026, for concurrence in line with constitutional requirements.
“We have done the needful and endorsed the State Police Bill because our people need security that is close to them,” he said.
Dangyatin described the existing centralized policing system as overstretched, arguing that state police would complement the federal police and improve security operations, particularly in rural communities.
“The Nigeria Police as presently constituted is overstretched. State Police will bring policing closer to the people and address our peculiar challenges,” he said.
He added that the Assembly constituted a special ad hoc committee to examine the proposed constitutional amendments and engage relevant stakeholders before arriving at its decision.
The Speaker said the consultations indicated support for a decentralised policing arrangement that would complement, rather than replace, the federal police.
Beyond security, Dangyatin said the proposed system could create employment opportunities for qualified young people, especially indigenes familiar with the security challenges of their communities.
He said the establishment of a State Police Service Commission would provide an institutional framework for recruiting and administering personnel.
“Most of our teeming youths who are indigenes of the state will have the opportunity to be employed. Those who understand the security architecture of their localities can contribute meaningfully to maintaining peace and protecting lives and property,” he said.
On the timing of the endorsement, Dangyatin dismissed suggestions that the Assembly had deliberately delayed consideration of the bill, explaining that the legislature was in recess when it received the proposed amendment.
He said the vote was initially scheduled for the previous week but was affected by his engagement as a director in the presidential campaign council, which required him to attend a meeting in Abuja.
The Speaker, who is also the National Vice-Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee, said he was determined to preside personally over the session because of his longstanding interest in community policing and security matters.
He described the endorsement as a significant milestone in his tenure, expressing pride in presiding over the session.
“It is a matter of pride for me to preside over the session that passed the State Police Bill. I want history to record that during my tenure as Speaker, I chaired the session in which we voted for state police,” he said.
Addressing concerns that governors might use state police to intimidate political opponents, Dangyatin maintained that such fears should not overshadow the urgent need to tackle insecurity.
He said the initiative was intended to improve public safety and strengthen security operations at the grassroots.
“The President and the governors have done this with good intentions to address the insecurity people are talking about in the country,” he said.
Dangyatin assured residents that the Assembly’s decision was guided by transparency, patriotism and the interests of the people, adding that the proposed arrangement could improve security responses and enable qualified youths to serve their communities.
“We will not compromise the interest of Jigawa State and Nigeria at large. This endorsement is for the future of our democracy and the safety of our people,” he said.
Ibrahim Shuaibu in Dutse
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