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A United States congressman has welcomed Nigeria’s passage of a constitutional bill allowing states to establish their own police forces, describing the move as a critical step toward ending the persecution of Christians and overall instability in the country.
Representative Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, made the remarks on Thursday after Nigeria’s House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for the bill.
“I am thankful to see that Nigeria’s House of Representatives passed this important policy that I’ve been calling for since President Trump first asked me to investigate the genocide against Christians in Nigeria,” Moore wrote on X.
“Ensuring states can protect their own citizens is a critical step toward ending the persecution of Christians and the overall instability in Nigeria.”
Moore said he raised the idea directly with Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, during her visit to Washington and has done so repeatedly with every Nigerian delegation he has met.
“President Tinubu deserves credit for supporting this legislation and urging its passage through Nigeria’s parliament, and I hope to see him continue pushing on this issue,” Moore said.
He added that there is still a way to go before state-level police forces are in place, but described the development as “a sign that all our hard work is paying off.”
I am thankful to see that Nigeria’s House of Representatives passed this important policy that I’ve been calling for since @POTUS first asked me to investigate the genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
In fact, I raised this idea directly with Nigeria’s First Lady during her… https://t.co/sL0y7sa3LQ
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) June 11, 2026
Nigeria’s parliament passed the constitutional bill on Thursday, paving the way for each of its 36 states to establish and run its own police force alongside the federal Nigeria Police Force.
The move brings decentralised policing closer to reality as authorities seek to address diverse security crises that have stretched the centrally controlled system beyond its limits.
A decentralised model is seen by supporters, including President Bola Tinubu, as critical to improving local responses to violence ranging from insurgency to mass kidnappings and communal clashes.
The push for state police has gained urgency as insecurity spreads across Nigeria.
In May, gunmen abducted dozens of students and teachers in separate attacks in Oyo and Borno states, highlighting the reach of criminal and insurgent groups across regions.
State governors say they are held accountable for security but lack operational control over police in their states.
Reform advocates argue state police could improve response times, strengthen intelligence gathering and deploy officers with better knowledge of local communities.
