President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday decorated Tunji Disu with his new rank as Acting Inspector-General of Police at a ceremony held at the State House, Abuja.
The event, which took place at about 4pm inside the President’s office, was attended by 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.
Tinubu personally pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform and commended Egbetokun for his service to the nation.
Disu’s appointment came just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would have reached the mandatory retirement age of 60. However, under the amended Police Act, which grants Inspectors-General a four-year tenure regardless of age, he may remain in office until 2030 if confirmed.
The decoration followed Egbetokun’s resignation on Tuesday, officially attributed to family matters requiring his full attention. In a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu accepted the resignation and announced Disu’s appointment.
However, Presidency sources indicated that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa on Monday evening.
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 elevation is expected to trigger a wave of retirements among senior officers. At least nine Deputy Inspectors-General currently serving at Force Headquarters may be affected, in keeping with the tradition that senior officers vacate their posts when a junior colleague is appointed IGP. Sources within the Police Service Commission suggested that between 15 and 20 senior officers could exit the force as a result.
Disu is expected to formally assume office at the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, where a handover ceremony and parade of senior officers will be held.
Born on April 13, 1966, on Lagos Island, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force in May 1992 and has served for over three decades in various operational and leadership roles.
A graduate of Lagos State University, he holds master’s degrees in Public Administration and in Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology. He has also attended several professional training programmes both within and outside Nigeria, including courses in Botswana and the United Kingdom.
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 Squad award in West Africa in 2016, and he was named Most Outstanding Anti-Crime Police Chief in West and Central Africa in 2019.
In August 2021, he was appointed to head the Intelligence Response Team, replacing suspended officer Abba Kyari. The unit is responsible for investigating high-profile crimes and coordinating intelligence operations nationwide.
He has also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, and was, until his appointment, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex in Lagos.
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Beyond policing, Disu is a third-dan black belt judoka. He won a silver medal at the 33rd U.S. Open Judo Championship in 2022 in the under-100kg veteran category and has claimed multiple gold medals at national competitions. He currently serves as patron of the Nigerian Police Judo Association.
During the 2020 #EndSARS protests, Disu, then head of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, reportedly deployed the unit’s ambulances to assist injured protesters, a move that drew public commendation.
He is also a member of several professional bodies, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
