Kogi State has joined other states in Nigeria in ratifying the establishment of state police as part of efforts to strengthen local security architecture through intelligence gathering and improve responses to security challenges.

This followed the passage of a bill approving of the proposed constitutional amendment by the Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday, in line with ongoing efforts to decentralise policing in Nigeria.

The amendment seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to provide for the establishment of state police services and other related matters.

The sitting was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Umar Yusuf who called for consideration of the bill following a presentation by the Majority Leader, Suleiman Abdulrazak.

The House later went into the Committee of the Whole to continue the proceeding during which lawmakers embarked on a clause by clause consideration of the bill before reaching a resolution of the constitutional amendment for the establishment of state police.

Speaking after the proceedings, the Speaker said prevailing security challenges had made it necessary for communities to play a greater role in protecting lives and property.

He said the country needed a system that would make policing a collective responsibility, noting that communities in different parts of the country were increasingly organising different security arrangements to defend themselves against attacks by criminals.

The Speaker described the concurrence to the proposed constitutional amendment as a step towards addressing insecurity and recalled that the House of Assembly had passed the Vigilante and Hunters bills as part of efforts to strengthen community security architecture in the state.

He added that a national framework outlining how state police would operate was still expected, after which state assemblies would consider frameworks for implementation within their respective jurisdictions.