Bola Tinubu on Tuesday decorated Tunji Disu with his new rank as Acting Inspector-General of Police at the State House, Abuja.
The ceremony, held at about 4 p.m. in the President’s office, was attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; and the immediate past IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
Disu’s appointment comes just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would attain the mandatory retirement age of 60. However, under the amended Police Act, which grants Inspectors-General of Police a fixed four-year tenure regardless of age, he could remain in office until 2030.
Tinubu, who personally pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform, commended Egbetokun for his service to the nation.
The ceremony took place less than 24 hours after Egbetokun submitted his resignation letter to the President on Tuesday, citing family matters requiring his full attention.
In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu accepted the resignation, expressed appreciation for Egbetokun’s service, and announced Disu’s appointment.
“The IGP resigned in a letter today, citing family issues which require his undivided attention,” Onanuga said.
However, multiple Presidency sources told The Telegraph that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with the President on Monday evening at the Presidential Villa.
“It was at that meeting he was asked to go,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity.
Observers reported that Egbetokun’s official vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser with number plate NPF-01 was seen at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa around 6:40 p.m. on Monday, coinciding with the arrival of governors for an interfaith breaking of fast with the President.
Disu will serve in an acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council, in line with constitutional provisions.
According to Onanuga, “In compliance with the provisions of the Police Act 2020, President Tinubu will shortly convene a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council to formally consider the appointment of AIG Disu as substantive Inspector-General of Police. Thereafter, his name will be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation.”
Disu’s appointment is expected to trigger the retirement of several senior officers, following the long-standing tradition that officers senior to a newly appointed IGP step aside.
At least nine Deputy Inspectors-General of Police at Force Headquarters including DIG Adebola Hamzat (Logistics and Supply), DIG Mohammed Gumel (Force Intelligence Department), DIG Adebowale Williams (ICT), and former Force spokesman DIG Frank Mba may be affected.
A source at the Police Service Commission indicated that between 15 and 20 senior officers, including some Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, could exit the force as a result.
“Going by recent practice, Disu’s seniors may submit their resignation letters. Some may choose to remain and serve under a junior officer, but that is uncommon,” the source said.
The new IGP is expected to formally assume office at Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday, during a handover ceremony that will include a parade of senior officers.
Born on April 13, 1966, on Lagos Island, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992, and has served for more than three decades in various operational and leadership roles.
A graduate of English Education from Lagos State University, he holds two master’s degrees: one in Public Administration from Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State, and another in Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology from Lagos State University.
He has undertaken professional training both locally and internationally, including small arms smuggling training in Botswana; internet fraud training at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; the Strategic Leadership Command Course at the Police Staff College, Jos; and a Forensic Investigations and Criminal Intelligence course at the University of Lagos.
Disu rose to national prominence as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos State, a position he held for six years, during which he rebranded the unit as “The Good Guys.”
Under his leadership, the RRS 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.
On August 2, 2021, he was appointed head of the Intelligence Response Team, succeeding the suspended Abba Kyari. The IRT is a specialised unit responsible for investigating high-profile crimes and coordinating intelligence operations nationwide.
Disu has also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, and as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
He previously served as Principal Staff Officer to Egbetokun and held several operational postings, including Divisional Police Officer in Ago Iwoye (Ogun State); Ikare and Owo (Ondo State); and Elimgbu and Elelenwo (Rivers State).
In 2005, he led Nigeria’s first police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan, serving as Acting Chief of Staff in Darfur.
Outside policing, Disu is an accomplished judoka with a third-dan black belt. He won a silver medal at the 33rd US Open Judo Championship in 2022 in the under-100kg veteran category, as well as multiple gold medals at the National Sports Festival and the Nigerian Police Games. He currently serves as patron of the Nigerian Police Judo Association.
During the 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality, Disu, then head of the RRS in Lagos, reportedly deployed the unit’s ambulances to assist injured protesters, a move that earned him public commendation.
He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
