President Bola Tinubu has named Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu as Acting Inspector-General of Police, following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun.
Announcing the decision on Tuesday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the appointment takes immediate effect. “In view of the current security challenges confronting the nation, and acting in accordance with extant laws and legal guidance, President Tinubu has approved the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to serve as Acting Inspector-General of Police with immediate effect,” he said.
Onanuga added that, in line with the Police Act 2020, the President will soon convene the Nigeria Police Council to consider Disu’s substantive appointment, after which his name will be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation.
Until his elevation, Disu headed the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Alagbon, Lagos, and was promoted to Assistant Inspector-General last year. He previously served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and later as Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory.
A member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Disu once led the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, a role previously held by Abba Kyari. Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos Island, he joined the force on May 18, 1992, and has served in multiple capacities, including Divisional Police Officer in Ogun, Ondo, and Rivers states. He also commanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) units in Ondo, Oyo, and Rivers states and was second-in-command of the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department.
In 2005, he led Nigeria’s first police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan and was later appointed acting Chief of Staff in Darfur before returning to the country in 2006. Between June 2015 and August 2021, he commanded the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad, where he introduced the “The Good Guys” initiative to promote professional and citizen-focused policing.
Disu’s appointment ends Egbetokun’s tenure, which began in 2023. Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police on June 19, 2023, and the Nigeria Police Council confirmed him in October that year.
The latter part of Egbetokun’s tenure generated controversy over his continued stay in office beyond the statutory retirement age of 60 years or 35 years of service, as stipulated under Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020. Critics argued the extension undermined service regulations, while the police maintained it merely allowed him to complete the four-year term stated in his appointment letter.
In July 2024, the National Assembly passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill—forwarded by the President—to permit an Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the expiration of the term specified in the letter of appointment.
