President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday formally decorated Mr Tunji Disu as Acting Inspector-General of Police at the State House, Abuja, following the resignation of his predecessor.
The brief but symbolic ceremony took place at about 4 p.m. inside the President’s office and was witnessed by top government officials, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; and the immediate past IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
Tinubu personally pinned the new rank insignia on Disu’s uniform and praised Egbetokun for what he described as his dedicated service to the country.
Disu’s appointment comes just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he turns 60, the mandatory retirement age for police officers. However, provisions of the amended Police Act grant an Inspector-General of Police a fixed four-year tenure regardless of age. If confirmed in a substantive capacity, Disu could therefore remain in office until 2030.
Egbetokun had tendered his resignation in a letter to the President on Tuesday, citing pressing family matters that require his “undivided attention.” However, Presidency sources indicated that the former police chief was asked to step down during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.
Disu will serve in acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council. According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President will convene the Council in line with the Police Act 2020 to deliberate on Disu’s nomination. If approved, his name will be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.
His elevation is expected to trigger a shake-up within the police hierarchy. In keeping with longstanding tradition in the Force, senior officers often retire when a junior officer is appointed IGP. At least nine Deputy Inspectors-General of Police could be affected, including DIG Adebola Hamzat (Logistics and Supply), DIG Mohammed Gumel (Force Intelligence Department), DIG Adebowale Williams (ICT), and former Force Public Relations Officer, DIG Frank Mba.
A source at the Police Service Commission said between 15 and 20 senior officers may ultimately exit the Force as a result of the development.
Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos Island, Disu enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992. A graduate of Lagos State University, he holds master’s degrees in Public Administration and in Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology. He has undergone specialised training programmes in Botswana, the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
He gained national prominence as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, where he introduced reforms that rebranded operatives as “The Good Guys.” Under his leadership, the unit was adjudged the Best Anti-Crime Squad in West Africa in 2016.
In 2021, he was appointed to head the Intelligence Response Team, succeeding suspended officer Abba Kyari. He has also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, and most recently as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
Outside policing, Disu is a third-dan black belt judoka. He won a silver medal at the 33rd U.S. Open Judo Championship in 2022 and has claimed multiple medals at the National Sports Festival and the Nigerian Police Games. He is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
He is expected to formally assume duties at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, on Wednesday, where a handover ceremony and parade of senior officers are scheduled to take place.
