Tunji Disu confirmed as substantive IGP by police council

The Nigeria Police Council has unanimously endorsed the appointment of Olatunji Disu as the substantive Inspector-General of Police (IGP), following a high-level meeting at the State House in Abuja.

The confirmation was announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, shortly after the Council’s closed-door session, which lasted about 40 minutes. The meeting was convened in line with the provisions of the Police Act 2020, mandating the Council to consider and affirm the appointment of a new IGP.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who chairs the Police Council, arrived at the meeting around 2:15 p.m. to commence proceedings. The session was held to formally ratify Disu’s nomination after the resignation of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Disu had been appointed in an acting capacity last week and simultaneously elevated from the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) to IGP. With about two months remaining before his retirement, his confirmation now cements his leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.

Sources indicate that following the Council’s endorsement, President Tinubu is expected to transmit the appointment to the Senate for confirmation, in accordance with constitutional and statutory provisions. However, there remains debate in some quarters over whether Senate confirmation is legally required for the appointment of an IGP.

Among those present at the meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam; Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; several state governors; and other statutory members of the Council.

The Nigeria Police Council, established under the Police Act 2020, comprises the President as chairman, the governors of the 36 states, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, and the Inspector-General of Police. As a critical advisory body, it plays a strategic oversight role in internal security policy, police administration, budgeting, and senior appointments within the Force.

While the Council does not engage in the day-to-day operational activities of the police, it ensures due process in major institutional decisions, particularly appointments to the office of the Inspector-General of Police.

Monday’s meeting comes amid ongoing security challenges across the country, highlighting the need for stable and decisive leadership at the helm of Nigeria’s policing structure.