(Riley Moore. Photo Credit: News Central Tv)
A United States Congressman has welcomed the Nigerian Senate’s passage of a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police, describing it as a significant step toward addressing insecurity and protecting vulnerable communities, including persecuted Christians.
Riley Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in the US House of Representatives, said the proposed decentralisation of policing was a reform he had championed both publicly and privately in the course of investigating violence against Christians in Nigeria.
He expressed encouragement at the Senate’s decision, arguing that empowering states to manage their own security challenges would strengthen efforts to defend persecuted communities and reduce dependence on federal-level decision-making in Abuja.
Moore also commended President Bola Tinubu for his support of the proposal, while noting that the constitutional amendment must still be ratified by at least two-thirds of state Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.
The Nigerian Senate passed the bill on Wednesday after more than two-thirds of lawmakers voted in favour during a manual voting process.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish state police services that would operate alongside the existing Nigeria Police Force, with governors empowered to appoint Commissioners of Police for their states, subject to confirmation by their respective state legislatures.
The bill also includes safeguards against potential abuse, stipulating that state police cannot be deployed against individuals or groups solely on the basis of criticising a state government, except where the law permits.
The amendment will only be enshrined in the Constitution after clearing the required approvals from state assemblies and completing all other constitutional procedures.
