Speaker of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin, has said the proposed State Police Service will create employment opportunities for youths and strengthen security at the grassroots.
Dangyatin, who spoke after the Assembly endorsed the State Police Bill, dismissed concerns that governors could use the proposed security outfit to intimidate political opponents, insisting that its primary objective was to address insecurity.
He said state police would enable governments to recruit personnel familiar with the security challenges, terrain and social dynamics of their communities, thereby improving intelligence gathering and responses to threats.
According to the Speaker, the existing policing structure is overstretched and requires additional support to tackle the country’s security challenges effectively.
‘People are complaining about insecurity, and we need to improve the security architecture at all levels of government. The President, in his wisdom, decided that creating state police would help address these challenges,’ he said.
Dangyatin added that the proposed arrangement would create employment opportunities for qualified youths, particularly indigenes with knowledge of the security situation in their localities.
‘Most of our teeming youths who are indigenes of the state will have the opportunity to be employed. Those who understand the security architecture of their localities can contribute meaningfully to maintaining peace and protecting lives and property,’ he said.
He explained that the proposed State Police Service Commission would provide an institutional framework for the recruitment and administration of personnel.
The Speaker said the Assembly’s endorsement followed its examination of the proposed constitutional amendment and consultations with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, civil society organisations and professional bodies.
He disclosed that the National Assembly transmitted the Constitution Amendment Bill to the 36 state Houses of Assembly on September 23, 2026, for concurrence in line with constitutional requirements.
According to him, a special ad hoc committee was constituted to study the proposed amendments and engage relevant stakeholders before the House reached its decision.
Dangyatin maintained that the consultations underscored the need for a decentralised policing arrangement that would complement the Nigeria Police Force.
He also dismissed suggestions that the Assembly delayed consideration of the bill, explaining that the legislature was on recess when the proposal was transmitted.
He said the passage was initially scheduled for the previous week but was affected by his engagement as a director in the presidential campaign council, which required him to attend a meeting in Abuja.
The Speaker, who is also the National Vice-Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), said he was determined to preside personally over the session because of his longstanding interest in community policing.
‘It is a matter of pride for me to preside over the session that passed the State Police Bill. I want history to record that during my tenure as Speaker, I chaired the session in which we voted for state police,’ he said.
On concerns about possible political interference, Dangyatin argued that such fears should not overshadow the potential benefits of the proposed arrangement.
‘The President and the governors have done this with good intentions to address the insecurity people are talking about in the country,’ he said.
He added that transparency and the protection of the public interest would be essential to ensuring that the proposed system served its intended purpose.
Dangyatin expressed confidence that state police would strengthen security operations, improve responses to local threats, and provide qualified youths with opportunities to contribute to peace and stability in their communities.