United States Congressman Riley Moore has welcomed the Nigerian Senate’s approval of constitutional amendments aimed at establishing state police, describing the move as a major step toward tackling insecurity and protecting vulnerable communities across the country.
Moore made his position known in a post shared on his X account, where he praised the proposed reform and reiterated his longstanding support for decentralising policing powers in Nigeria.
The Senate recently approved a set of constitutional amendment bills, including provisions that would allow states to establish and operate their own police forces.
Read: BREAKING!!! Senate Passes Constitutional Amendment Bill for State Police
The proposal is part of broader efforts to strengthen security architecture and address growing concerns over violent crimes, insurgency and communal conflicts across the country.
Reacting to the development, Moore said he had advocated for state policing both publicly and privately for years, particularly in relation to the security challenges facing Christian communities in parts of Nigeria.
“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.
The American lawmaker argued that empowering states to manage their own policing structures would reduce overreliance on federal authorities and improve the protection of local communities.
“I can’t stress how critical this law that will empower states to protect their own citizens and reducing dependence on decision makers in Abuja is to the effort to defend persecuted Christians and address insecurity,” Moore stated.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for supporting the initiative and helping to advance the legislation through the constitutional amendment process.
“President Tinubu deserves credit for pushing it forward, but now we need two-thirds of the states to ratify before it will take effect,” he added.
Under Nigeria’s constitutional amendment procedure, bills passed by the National Assembly must be approved by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before they can become law. If ratified by the required number of states, the legislation will then be transmitted for presidential assent.