Senate finally passes state police bill, governors can now establish their own police

The Senate passed President Tinubu's State Police Bill yesterday and it is honestly a huge step. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said it is one of the most significant constitutional reforms since 1999, and I agree. The bill removes the sunset clause on the Police Trust Fund, making it permanent funding for the Nigeria Police.

What caught my attention is that states will not just automatically get police. Each state must pass its own law and meet national standards before starting operations. Governors Uba Sani, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and Dapo Abiodun were inside the chamber watching the debate, which caused some drama over parliamentary procedure.

This could finally address the insecurity we see everywhere from Kaduna to Lagos. But I wonder how many state governments actually have the funds to run a police service properly. Abi na another layer of tax we go pay?