IGP Tunji Disu And The Onerous Task Of Policing A Nation With Fractured Security Architecture -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed

The news of the resignation of Mr. Kayode Egbetokun the former inspector-general of police (IGP) on the 25th of February 2026 did not come many as a surprise. After what looked like a rift with the powers that be, the embattled police boss finally threw in the towel terminating his tenure that is supposed to run till June next year thereby paving the way for the emergence of Mr. Olatunji Rilwan Disu who many believed was a round peg in a round hole given his antecedent as the Nigeria’s 23rd inspector-general of police. I do not want to be drawn into the controversy surrounding his appointment as the Inspector General of the Nigerian police but suffice it to say that much as many cry blue murder over his appointment nobody dares to say that he is not qualified for the position nor doubted his ability to perform. It is pertinent to state here that appointment or promotions of senior police officer from the rank of Commissioner and above is basically political. It depends of available space, state or regional quota, loyalty and the discretion of the president. So, nobody should bicker over his appointment since he is eminently qualified for the position.

Available records in the public space shows that the new IGP is a fine officer with enviable resume. His colleagues see him as gentle man and thorough-bred professional with sound technical and man-management skills. He has had a robust career spanning over 30 years within which period he has served the police force in different capacities as Head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Commissioner of Police for Rivers State and the FCT, and commander of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

Mr. Disu is a graduate of English language. He has two masters’ degree in Public Administration and in Criminology, Security, and Legal Psychology. He has also attended different professional courses within and outside Nigeria including Small Arms Smuggling Training in Botswana, Internet Fraud Training at the University of Cambridge, Strategic Leadership Command Course at the Police Staff College, Jos, Forensic Investigations and Criminal Intelligence Course at the University of Lagos amongst others.

The new IGP belongs to different local and international professional bodies including: the International Association Chiefs of Police, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPM), International Institute of Certified Forensics Investigation Professionals, International Academy of Forensics and the National Association of Investigative Specialist, US (NAIS among others.

The new police helmsman has many awards and recognition in his kitty. In 2019, he received Man of the Year award from Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN).  In the same year also, as the commander the police Rapid Response Squad (RRS), he won the most outstanding anti-crime police chief in West and Central Africa while his RRS Unit was awarded the most outstanding urban crime control police command in West and Central Africa. Also in 2016, he was voted the most outstanding police operational officer in West Africa while his RRS unit of the Lagos State Police Command received the best anti-crime police squad award in West Africa by Security Watch Africa (SWA).

Evidently, Nigeria needs the services of an experienced officer like Mr. Tunji Disu as the head of our police force in view of the multifarious security challenges facing the nation. The challenge before the new IGP is quite enormous. He has to grapple with the challenge of banditry, kidnapping, placating and motivating dissatisfied officers, poor service tools and many socio-political issues. The issue of policing in Nigeria has been that of reactive and sometimes inactive measure. The focus now should be on pro-active way of crime prevention and detection through community parnership and proactive problem-solving style of policing, focusing on community engagement, crime prevention and law enforcement. He has to also tackle the issue of human abuses and police brutality.

It is therefore interesting to hear that his program as the new Sheriff in town are to focus on enhancing security, operational efficiency and police welfare. This clearly shows that he could diagnose accurately the main challenges confronting the police force.

From all indication, it is obvious that the new police boss is poised to work not just to silence critics but out of patriotic zeal. I will urge Nigerians and members of the police force to support the new police boss in order to curb insecurity, crime and social vices in our country. But will the Nigerian system, political interferences and institutional bottlenecks allow him to perform his mandate as the chief crime officer of the nation? Only time will tell!

Hajia Hadiza Mohammed 

hajiahadizamohammed@gmail.com

An actress, social activist, politician

London, UK