President Bola Tinubu’s renewed push to create state police has once again brought one of Nigeria’s most contentious constitutional debates to the forefront. With the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, formally presented to the National Assembly and the inauguration of the presidential working group on the national policing bill on July 7, 2026, the conversation has shifted from whether Nigeria should have state police to whether it is prepared for such a fundamental restructuring of its policing architecture. The proposed amendment seeks to create a dual policing system—the federal and state.  While the Federal Police Service will focus on national matters like terrorism, border security, and cybercrime, the State Police Service will handle local law enforcement and order.