TINUBU DECORATES DISU AS ACTING IGP, TO SEEK POLICE COUNCIL CONFIRMATION

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday decorated Tunji Disu with his new rank as Acting Inspector-General of Police at the State House, Abuja.

The ceremony, held at about 4pm at the President’s office, was attended by 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.

Disu’s appointment came 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would have attained the mandatory retirement age of 60. However, under the amended Police Act which grants Inspectors-General a four-year tenure irrespective of age, he may remain in office until 2030 if confirmed.

Tinubu, who personally pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform, commended Egbetokun for his service to the nation.

The decoration followed Egbetokun’s resignation on Tuesday. In a statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the former IGP cited family matters requiring his “undivided attention.” Tinubu accepted the resignation and immediately announced Disu’s appointment.

However, Presidency sources indicated that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.

Disu will remain in acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council, after which his name will be forwarded to the Senate in line with constitutional provisions.

Disu’s elevation is expected to trigger the retirement of several senior officers, following the tradition that officers senior to a newly appointed IGP vacate their positions.

At least nine Deputy Inspectors-General may be affected, including DIG Adebola Hamzat (Logistics and Supply), DIG Mohammed Gumel (Force Intelligence Department), DIG Adebowale Williams (ICT), and DIG Frank Mba, among others.

Sources within the Police Service Commission indicated that between 15 and 20 senior officers could resign as a result of the development.

Born on April 13, 1966, on Lagos Island, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992, and has served for over three decades.

A graduate of Lagos State University, he holds two master’s degrees — one in Public Administration from Adekunle Ajasin University and another in Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology from Lagos State University. He has also attended professional courses locally and internationally, including training at the University of Cambridge and the Police Staff College, Jos.

Disu gained national prominence as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, where he rebranded the unit as “The Good Guys.” Under his leadership, the squad won the Best Anti-Crime Squad award in West Africa in 2016, and he was named Most Outstanding Anti-Crime Police Chief in West and Central Africa in 2019.

In 2021, he was appointed head of the Intelligence Response Team, replacing suspended officer Abba Kyari. He has also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, and as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.

Disu previously led Nigeria’s first police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan in 2005, serving as acting Chief of Staff in Darfur.

Beyond policing, he is a decorated judoka, holding a third-dan black belt. He won a silver medal at the 33rd U.S. Open Judo Championship in 2022 and has clinched multiple medals at national competitions.

He is expected to formally assume office at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, following a handover ceremony.