Top Headlines This Friday: State Police Bill Passes Amid House Walkout, US Imposes 12.5% Tariff on Nigerian Imports, Army Expansion Approved

Top stories this Friday morning include a dramatic session at the House of Representatives, where the State Police Bill was approved despite a walkout by minority lawmakers.

The United States has imposed a 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from Nigeria, citing concerns over the country’s failure to effectively prevent the entry of goods produced through forced labour.

In the security sector, President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army from its existing structure to 12 divisions as part of efforts to strengthen national defence and improve operational capacity.

Walkout rocks House as State Police Bill passes

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a Constitution Alteration Bill seeking to establish State Police across Nigeria, following a heated debate that ended with a walkout by members of the minority caucus.

The minority lawmakers opposed the passage of the bill, arguing that the legal framework required further review and that the constitutional amendment process had not been properly followed.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the establishment of State Police Services and for related matters,” secured the required two-thirds majority after consideration by members of the House.

The development marks a major step in the long-running debate over decentralising policing in Nigeria, with supporters arguing that state-controlled police structures would improve response to security challenges, while critics have raised concerns over possible abuse of power.