PHOTOS: Tinubu Decorates Tunji Disu as Acting IGP

• President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday formally decorated Tunji Disu as Acting Inspector-General of Police at the State House, Abuja, following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday decorated Tunji Disu with his new rank as Acting Inspector-General of Police during a ceremony held at about 4 p.m. inside his office at the State House, Abuja.

The brief but symbolic event was attended by key 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 insignia on Disu’s uniform and commended Egbetokun for what he described as his dedicated service to the nation.

Disu’s elevation came barely 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, Inspectors-General of Police are entitled to a single four-year tenure regardless of age, meaning Disu could remain in office until 2030 if confirmed substantively.

Egbetokun had submitted his resignation letter to the President on Tuesday, citing family matters that require his “undivided attention.” However, multiple Presidency sources disclosed that he was asked to step down during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.

“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity.

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 consider Disu’s appointment. If approved, his name will be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation as substantive IGP.

His appointment is expected to trigger a series of retirements among senior police officers, in keeping with longstanding police tradition that requires officers senior to the IGP to step aside. No fewer than nine Deputy Inspectors-General of Police may be affected, including DIG Adebola Hamzat (Logistics and Supply), DIG Mohammed Gumel (Force Intelligence Department), DIG Adebowale Williams (ICT), and former Force spokesman DIG Frank Mba.

A source at the Police Service Commission indicated that between 15 and 20 senior officers could ultimately exit the Force.

“Going by recent practice, Disu’s seniors might have to submit their resignation letters. Between 15 and 20 may resign,” the source said.

Born on April 13, 1966, in 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 master’s degrees in Public Administration and in Criminology, Security, and Legal Psychology. He has undergone specialised training in Botswana, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria.

Disu rose to 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 Best Anti-Crime Squad in West Africa in 2016.

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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 most recently as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.

Beyond 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 secured multiple medals at the National Sports Festival and Nigerian Police Games. He is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Disu is expected to formally assume office at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, on Wednesday, where a handover ceremony and parade of senior officers are scheduled.

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