By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Abia State Government has clarified that the State House of Assembly has passed the State Police Bill into law, dismissing reports suggesting that the legislation is yet to receive the Assembly’s approval.

The government made the clarification in a press release issued on Thursday, by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha in Umuahia.

According to the statement, reports circulating on some media platforms claiming that Abia State had not passed the State Police Bill were inaccurate and did not reflect the true position of events in the state.

The government stated that the Abia State House of Assembly had already passed the bill as part of the constitutional reform process aimed at strengthening community-based policing and improving the security of lives and property.

It added that the passage of the legislation demonstrated the state’s preparedness to embrace state policing, an initiative championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The government urged members of the public, media practitioners and other stakeholders to disregard the reports and obtain information from verified official government channels.

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accurate public communication, the Abia State Government said it would continue to collaborate with the Federal Government and other states to ensure the successful implementation of state police in Nigeria.

The government also appealed to media organisations to verify information before publication to prevent the spread of misleading reports.