By Ayomide Otitoju
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu as the Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) with immediate effect.
The appointment was announced Tuesday evening by the President’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, who said the decision was taken in view of prevailing security challenges and in accordance with extant laws.
“In compliance with the provisions of the Police Act 2020, President Tinubu will convene a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council shortly to formally consider the appointment of AIG Disu as substantive Inspector-General of Police, after which his name will be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation,” the statement said.
Until his appointment, Disu served as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos. He was promoted to the rank of AIG in 2024 and previously served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State.
A member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Disu also headed the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, a unit once led by Abba Kyari.
Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos Island, Disu enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992. Over the course of his career, he has served as Divisional Police Officer in Ago Iwoye, Ikare, Owo, Elimbu and Elelenwo, and commanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ondo, Oyo and Rivers states. He also led anti-kidnapping operations in Rivers and served as second-in-command of the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in the state.
In 2005, Disu led the first Nigerian Police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan as contingent commander and was later appointed acting Chief of Staff in Darfur before returning to Nigeria in 2006.
He served as Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad from June 2015 to August 2021, where he introduced the “The Good Guys” initiative aimed at promoting professionalism and citizen-focused policing.
Disu’s appointment follows the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun, who was appointed as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police in June 2023. Egbetokun’s tenure had drawn controversy over his continued stay in office beyond the statutory retirement age, despite the passage of the Police Act (Amendment) Bill in July 2024 allowing an IGP to complete the tenure specified in the appointment letter.
