Tinubu decorates Disu as new acting IGP after Egbetokun’s exit
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday formally decorated Tunji Disu with his new rank as Acting Inspector-General of Police during a ceremony at the State House, Abuja.
The event, held at about 4 p.m. in the President’s office, was attended by top 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 comes just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would have attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.
However, under the amended Police Act, which allows Inspectors-General to serve a fixed four-year term irrespective of age, he could remain in office until 2030 if confirmed.
Tinubu, who personally pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform, commended Egbetokun for his service to the nation.
The ceremony followed Egbetokun’s resignation barely 24 hours earlier. In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President accepted the resignation, which was said to be due to family matters requiring the outgoing IGP’s “undivided attention.”
However, Presidency sources indicated that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a private meeting with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.
Disu will remain in an acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council, in line with constitutional provisions.
According to Onanuga, the President will soon convene a meeting of the Council to formally consider Disu’s appointment as substantive IGP, after which his name will be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.
His elevation is expected to trigger a wave of retirements among senior officers. At least nine Deputy Inspectors-General of Police currently serving at Force Headquarters — including DIG Adebola Hamzat, DIG Mohammed Gumel, DIG Adebowale Williams, and former Force spokesman DIG Frank Mba — may be affected, in keeping with the tradition that senior officers vacate their positions when a junior officer is appointed IGP.
Sources within the Police Service Commission suggest that between 15 and 20 senior officers could ultimately exit the Force as a result of the development.
Disu is expected to formally assume office at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday, where a handover ceremony and parade of senior officers will take place.
Born on April 13, 1966, on Lagos Island, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992, and has spent over three decades in service. A graduate of Lagos State University, he holds master’s degrees in Public Administration from Adekunle Ajasin University and in Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology from Lagos State University.
He has undergone extensive professional training both locally and internationally, including courses on small arms smuggling in Botswana, internet fraud investigations at the University of Cambridge, and strategic leadership at the Police Staff College, Jos.
Disu gained national recognition as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, where he served for six years and rebranded the unit as “The Good Guys.” Under his leadership, the squad won the Best Anti-Crime Unit 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, replacing the suspended Abba Kyari. He has also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, and as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
Beyond policing, Disu is a decorated judoka with a third-dan black belt. He won a silver medal at the 33rd U.S. Open Judo Championship in 2022 and multiple gold medals at national competitions. He is also the patron of the Nigerian Police Judo Association.
During the 2020 #EndSARS protests, Disu reportedly directed Rapid Response Squad ambulances to assist injured protesters, a move that drew public commendation.
He is a member of several professional bodies, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
