…Insists State Police Way to Go
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, on Tuesday outlined measures adopted by the 10th National Assembly to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, citing increased budgetary allocations, legislative reforms, and strengthened oversight functions.
Kalu disclosed this while speaking at the Chatham House Africa Programme Roundtable in London, where he addressed participants on the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: How to Ensure Electoral Integrity Amid a Deepening Security Crisis.”
According to him, security has remained the top legislative priority since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in June 2023.
He revealed that allocations to the security and defence sector rose from ₦2.98tn to ₦5.41tn in the 2026 budget, representing an 81 per cent increase within three years.
Kalu said, “Through its appropriation powers, the National Assembly has ensured that security funding has grown consistently and remains the single largest sectoral allocation in the national budget.”
He added that lawmakers were pushing for a constitutional amendment to make security funding a first-line charge.
“We are also advancing a constitutional amendment to make security funding a first-line charge on the national budget, guaranteeing its release before other lines,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker further explained that the House had intensified its oversight responsibilities by collaborating with security agencies to ensure effective utilisation of funds.
“Resources must translate into results, and parliament’s role is to ensure that they do that,” Kalu noted.
Highlighting legislative interventions, he disclosed that over 1,500 motions had been considered between June 2023 and June 2026, with about 400 directly addressing security challenges such as banditry, kidnapping, and attacks on farming communities.
He said these motions resulted in concrete actions, including summoning security chiefs, mandating the recruitment of forest guards, and securing commitments to protect schools in vulnerable areas.
On lawmaking, Kalu noted that the National Assembly had passed key legislations, including the Cybercrimes Act 2024 and the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024.
He added that the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre Bill was also being advanced to improve coordination among security agencies.
Speaking on the proposed State Police Bill, Kalu described it as a “legacy initiative” of President Bola Tinubu, stressing that decentralised policing remained the most viable solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.
“The case for state police begins with a simple question about response time. In too many communities, help arrives too late,” he said.
He argued that Nigeria’s centralised policing structure was outdated and incapable of effectively securing a vast country with over 230 million people.
“State police addresses this directly. Officers who come from a community understand its terrain and challenges better,” Kalu stated.
Responding to concerns about possible abuse by state governors, the lawmaker assured that the bill contains safeguards to prevent political interference.
“The concern about governors weaponising state police is legitimate, and we have legislated against it,” he said.
Beyond security, Kalu also highlighted reforms introduced in the Electoral Act 2026, signed earlier in the year, noting that it contains 15 key amendments aimed at strengthening electoral integrity.
He listed some of the reforms to include mandatory electronic transmission of results, creation of a national electronic register of election results, and stricter penalties for electoral malpractice.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s democratic challenges, Kalu maintained that steady progress was being made.
“Twenty-seven years of democracy is still a young journey. We have made mistakes, but we have never stopped building,” he said.
He added, “What I have shared today is a progress report from a legislature that believes deeply that the democratic project in Nigeria is worth every difficult reform it demands.”