A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has praised the Nigerian Senate for passing the Constitution Alteration Bill aimed at establishing state police, describing the move as a major step towards improving security and protecting vulnerable communities across the country.
Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, expressed his support in a post on his X account on Wednesday following the Senate’s approval of the bill.
According to the American lawmaker, the creation of state-controlled police forces is a reform he has long advocated, particularly in response to concerns about insecurity and attacks on Christian communities in parts of Nigeria.
“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,” Moore wrote.
He said empowering states to manage their own policing structures would improve security by reducing dependence on decisions made at the federal level.
“I can’t stress how critical this law is. It will empower states to protect their own citizens and reduce dependence on decision-makers in Abuja. This is important in defending persecuted Christians and tackling insecurity,” he added.
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Moore also commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the proposed reform, noting that the legislation still requires approval from at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
“President Tinubu deserves credit for pushing it forward, but now we need two-thirds of the states to ratify it before it takes effect,” he stated.
The Senate passed the state police bill on Wednesday after securing the constitutionally required support from lawmakers during a manual voting process.
The proposed amendment seeks to establish state police services that will operate alongside the Nigeria Police Force, with governors empowered to appoint state Commissioners of Police, subject to confirmation by their respective state legislatures.
The bill also contains safeguards designed to prevent abuse, including provisions that prohibit the use of state police against individuals or groups solely for criticising a state government except where permitted by law.
If approved by at least 24 state assemblies and completed through the remaining constitutional processes, the amendment will pave the way for one of the most significant reforms of Nigeria’s security architecture in recent decades.
