Nigeria’s Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has said that the 8th National Assembly will pass both the Police Reform Bill and the Police Trust Fund Bill before the legislative body winds down in June this year.

Saraki, who stated this on Wednesday when he received the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu in his office emphasized the National Assembly’s commitment to strengthening the nation’s security architecture.

The Senate President disclosed that both bills were at various stages in both chambers of the 8th National Assembly, adding that their passage would help to bequeath a more effective and efficient Police Force to the country.

His words: “Funding is a major issue and I know that a lot of work has been done to ensure that the Police Trust Fund Bill got to its current stage in the House. Before the end of the 8th Senate, I want to assure you that we will pass this bill.

“Another critical issue is the Police Reform Bill which has gone through Public Hearing with major input from stakeholders. We started this process before your tenure but we can still allow a few more days before it is laid so that you too can make your contributions.

“We would like you to take a close look at this bill alongside the committee so that by next week, we can lay the report of the bill and pass it.

“Once we begin to address the issue of funding and institutional reform of the Police, many of the recent incidents that we have seen like the abductions yesterday on Abuja-Kaduna road, and the killing of the young man in Lagos will also be addressed.”

Saraki further stressed that apart from ensuring that security institutions in the country were well-funded, the legislature needed to ensure that the Police play its constitutional role in the security of the nation and across party lines.