President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday decorated Tunji Disu with his new rank as acting Inspector-General of Police during a ceremony at the Presidential Office in State House Abuja.
The event, held at about 4 p.m., 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.
Disu’s appointment came 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would attain the mandatory retirement age of 60. However, the amended Police Act allows an Inspector-General of Police to serve a four-year tenure irrespective of age, meaning he could remain in office until 2030.
During the ceremony, Tinubu commended Egbetokun for his service to the nation after the former police chief submitted his resignation, citing family reasons. A statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that the President accepted the resignation and announced Disu’s appointment.
Multiple Presidency sources, however, indicated that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa earlier in the week.
Disu will serve in an acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council, after which his name will be forwarded to the Senate for approval.
His appointment is expected to trigger the retirement of several senior officers, including some Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, in line with the tradition that senior officers vacate positions when a junior colleague becomes IGP. Sources within the Police Service Commission suggested that between 15 and 20 senior officers could exit the force as a result.
The new police chief is scheduled to formally assume office at the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, with a handover ceremony and parade of senior officers.
Born on April 13, 1966, on Lagos Island, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force in May 1992 and has served for more than three decades in various operational and leadership roles. He studied English Education at Lagos State University and holds master’s degrees in Public Administration from Adekunle Ajasin University and in Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology from Lagos State University.
Disu gained national prominence as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, where he led reforms that earned the unit regional recognition. In August 2021, he was appointed head of the Intelligence Response Team, replacing Abba Kyari.
He has served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory and, prior to his elevation, was Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex in Alagbon, Lagos.
Beyond policing, Disu is an accomplished judoka, holding a third-dan black belt and winning medals at national and international competitions, including the U.S. Open Judo Championship.
His leadership during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, where Rapid Response Squad ambulances were deployed to assist injured demonstrators, drew public commendation.
Disu is also a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
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