A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has welcomed the Nigerian Senate’s passage of the Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish state police across the country.
Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, said the reform would help states protect citizens and tackle insecurity more effectively.
Reacting in a post on X on Wednesday, Moore described the development as a critical step toward addressing attacks on Christians and improving security.
“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,” he wrote.
He added that empowering states to protect their residents would reduce dependence on authorities in Abuja and strengthen efforts to defend persecuted Christians.
Moore also commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the proposal but noted that it still requires ratification by at least two-thirds of 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 will take effect,” he added.
The Senate on Wednesday passed the Constitution Alteration Bill after more than two-thirds of lawmakers voted in support of the proposal.
The bill seeks to establish state police services to operate alongside the Nigeria Police Force and empowers governors to appoint Commissioners of Police, subject to confirmation by their respective state Houses of Assembly.
It also contains safeguards against abuse, including provisions preventing state police from being used against individuals or groups solely for criticising a state government.
