The Senate has introduced a bill seeking to amend the Police Act, 2020. The new bill titled ‘The Nigeria Police Act 2020 (Amendment) Bill,…

The Senate has introduced a bill seeking to amend the Police Act, 2020.

The new bill titled ‘The Nigeria Police Act 2020 (Amendment) Bill, 2021’, was sponsored by Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (APC, Osun).

According to the sponsor, the bill seeks to enhance the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) through the removal of constraints of funds and whittling down the over-centralisation of the command structure of the police force.

This is coming six months after President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Nigeria Police Bill 2020, on September 16, which repealed the Police Act Cap. P19 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The amendment seeks to decentralize the police command structure with operational and budgetary powers vested in the zonal offices.

The bill also seeks to establish a zonal security advisory council and state security advisory council to advise on the security challenges facing each zone or state respectively.

Some experts told the Daily Trust that if passed into law, the bill will reduce administrative challenges in the police, in addition to inching closer to state police