President Bola Tinubu has appointed Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector-General of Police.

This followed the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as the IGP.

“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,” presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

“In compliance with the provisions of the Police Act 2020, President Tinubu will convene a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council shortly to formally consider the appointment of AIG Disu as substantive Inspector-General of Police, after which his name will be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation,” he said.

Until his appointment, Disu served as Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos. He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police last year.

Before then, he served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and was later deployed by Egbetokun to Abuja as Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory.

Disu is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a former head of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, a position previously held by Abba Kyari.

Tunji Disu was born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos Island and enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992. Over the course of his career, he has served as Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in several locations, including Ago Iwoye in Ogun State, Ikare and Owo in Ondo State, as well as Elimbu and Elelenwo in Rivers State.

He also served as Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and anti-kidnapping operations in Rivers State. He previously commanded SARS in Ondo State, Oyo State, and Rivers State, and later served as second in command (2IC) of the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Rivers State.

In 2005, he led the first Nigerian Police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan as contingent commander on a peacekeeping assignment. While stationed in Darfur, he was appointed acting Chief of Staff before returning to Nigeria in 2006.

He served as commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad from June 13, 2015, to August 2021. During his tenure, he branded his officers as “The Good Guys,” an initiative aimed at reforming policing practices by encouraging officers to enforce the law professionally while maintaining respectful engagement with citizens.

His appointment brings to an end Egbetokun’s tenure, which began in 2023.

President Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as the 22nd Inspector-General of Police on June 19, 2023, and the Nigeria Police Council confirmed his substantive appointment on October 31 of the same year.

The latter part of his tenure was marked by controversy, particularly over his extended stay in office, which drew public criticism.

Under Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Egbetokun, who was born on September 4, 1964, was expected to retire in September 2024 upon attaining the age of 60.

But his tenure extended beyond the mandatory retirement limits of 60 years of age or 35 years of service, prompting sustained criticism from civil society groups, among others. Critics argued that the extension breached established police service regulations and weakened institutional discipline.

However, the police maintained at the time that the development did not amount to an extension but was a confirmation that he would complete the four-year tenure stated in his original letter of appointment.

In July 2024, the National Assembly passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill to allow a person appointed as Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.

President Tinubu had forwarded the bill to the House of Representatives and the Senate to amend the tenure of the IGP. Lawmakers in both chambers passed the bill at separate sittings. (Channels)

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