The Jigawa State House of Assembly has passed a bill seeking to establish state police, following weeks of legislative scrutiny.

The bill was approved unanimously during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Haruna Aliyu Dangyatin.

He said the House had received it from the National Assembly while in recess and began considering it after resuming.

“We received the bill when the House was on recess, and when we resumed we began the work and expedited all our actions, and today we have finally passed it in accordance with the law,” Dangyatin told journalists.

He said locally recruited officers would be familiar with their communities’ geography and culture, which he believes could support more effective policing.

Dangyatin also said the proposed force would operate under a legal framework and serve the public, rejecting concerns that it could be used against political opponents.

The Speaker said the state government would provide funding for training and equipment if the system is established.

He credited President Bola Tinubu with championing the state police proposal and described its passage by state assemblies as significant to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.

The Jigawa Assembly’s vote completes the bill’s consideration at the state legislative level.

The Speaker’s comments on recruitment, funding and safeguards describe expectations for the proposed system; they do not indicate that state police operations have begun.