Benue Governor Commends National Assembly Advance on State Policing Bill

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has lauded the House of Representatives following the legislative passage of a bill designed to establish decentralized state police forces across Nigeria.

Speaking during a statewide broadcast on Friday to mark Democracy Day, Governor Alia described the legislative milestone as a forward-thinking and necessary measure to stabilize the nation’s security architecture.

He noted that the initiative recognizes the critical need for a more localized, responsive policing framework tailored to the unique security vulnerabilities of individual states and local communities.

The governor urged the public to embrace the security reforms with optimism, highlighting that structured accountability mechanisms and constitutional checks would ensure state policing effectively complements federal security agencies. According to state officials, localized units are expected to drastically improve immediate response times and streamline intelligence gathering at the grassroots level.

Detailing his administration’s ongoing local defense strategies, Alia outlined that the state has recently reinforced its security network through the distribution of more than 150 operational vehicles and 600 motorcycles to security personnel.

These provisions work alongside localized operations, including the Benue State Civil Protection Guards and the Anyam Nyor Joint Task Force, which officials credit for the gradual stabilization of peace in previously volatile areas of the state.