How IGP Tunji Disu is reshaping the Nigeria Police Force

An operational commander with a reputation for getting close to the people now leads one of Africa’s largest police institutions. His first months have brought a renewed emphasis on intelligence-led operations, accountability, tactical reforms and community partnership.

By: Zagazola Makama

There is something remarkable about a man who rises to the highest position in an institution without losing sight of where his journey began.
For Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu, the journey to the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, was not a sudden arrival. It was the outcome of more than three decades of service, operational assignments, difficult investigations, command responsibilities and encounters with the realities of policing in Nigeria.

His career has taken him from divisional policing to specialised anti-robbery operations, anti-kidnapping assignments, international peacekeeping, intelligence operations and the command of some of the country’s most strategically important police formations.
But perhaps the most revealing aspect of his journey is that he has repeatedly returned to one central idea: the police cannot succeed by treating the public as an adversary.

That philosophy became particularly visible during his years commanding the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), where officers became associated with the public-facing identity, The Good Guys. It is also a philosophy he now appears determined to institutionalise across the Nigeria Police Force.

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed him Acting Inspector-General of Police on Feb. 24, 2026, following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun, Disu inherited an institution facing several difficult questions: how to confront rising insecurity, how to rebuild public confidence, how to discipline erring officers, how to modernise investigations and how to make policing more responsive to citizens.

He assumed duty on Feb. 25 as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police, and was formally sworn in on March 4, 2026. His appointment came with enormous expectations, but also with a clear opportunity to translate his operational experience into institutional change.
What has followed is an administration that has placed considerable emphasis on operational performance, internal discipline, specialised crime response and a more direct relationship between police leadership and the communities it serves.

The story of Disu’s leadership is therefore not simply about the number of suspects arrested or weapons recovered. It is about the attempt to change the way a national police institution thinks, operates and relates to the people whose taxes sustain it. Disu’s professional background is important in understanding the character of his leadership. Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos, he joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and passed out from the Police Academy in 1993. His career has involved assignments in anti-fraud investigations, divisional policing, special anti-robbery operations, anti-kidnapping work, police training, peacekeeping and strategic command.
He served in Katsina, Ondo, Oyo and Rivers, among other locations, gaining experience in different dimensions of criminal investigation and public safety.

In 2005, he led the first Nigerian Police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan, where he participated in the international peacekeeping effort in Darfur. That experience exposed him to multinational security coordination and policing in a conflict environment. He also served as an officer in charge of training in the Nigeria Police Peacekeeping Department and as a directing staff at the Police Academy in Kano.

These were not merely administrative postings. They helped shape an officer whose career has consistently intersected with operational planning, intelligence, personnel development and the management of difficult security situations. His academic preparation also reflects an interest in the changing nature of policing. His qualifications include degrees and postgraduate training in English education, public administration, international relations and strategic studies, criminology, security and legal psychology, entrepreneurship, forensic investigation and criminal intelligence.

He is also a third-degree black belt in judo and has represented the police and Lagos State in competitions, winning several medals, including silver at the 2022 US Open Judo Championships.
It is a combination of field experience, professional training and personal discipline that has informed his approach to command.

One of the most defining chapters of Disu’s career was his appointment as Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad in June 2015. He remained in that position until 2021, a period during which the RRS developed a public identity that was unusual for a tactical police formation. Its officers became popularly associated with the description, The Good Guys.
The significance of that identity went beyond branding. It reflected an effort to make a tactical police unit more accessible, visible and responsive to the ordinary concerns of Lagos residents.

Under his leadership, the squad adopted crime mapping, hotspot policing and more visible patrol deployments. Officers were also encouraged to provide assistance beyond conventional law enforcement, including first aid, support to accident victims and help to stranded motorists.
One of the most memorable aspects of that approach was the squad’s reported assistance to a woman in labour during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

During the #EndSARS protests, reports also highlighted the availability of ambulances under his command to provide medical assistance to protesters. These examples were important because they demonstrated that police effectiveness should not be measured only by the ability to arrest, disperse or deploy force. Sometimes, the most powerful contribution an officer can make is to save a life, help a distressed citizen or respond to a situation that has nothing to do with criminal prosecution.
Disu’s RRS experience offered a practical demonstration of the philosophy that policing works better when citizens see officers as partners in their safety rather than distant symbols of authority. It was a lesson that would become even more important when he eventually assumed responsibility for the entire Force.

Another significant phase of his career came in August 2021, when he was appointed head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
The assignment placed him at the centre of intelligence-driven operations against organised criminal networks, armed robbery syndicates, kidnapping groups and other serious offenders.
Before that appointment, he had served as Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations at Force Headquarters and had also worked in the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department. The IRT assignment demanded the coordination of intelligence, surveillance, investigations and tactical operations. It further strengthened his experience in dealing with organised criminal activity and the need to connect intelligence gathering with evidence capable of supporting prosecution.

His subsequent appointments as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and later the Federal Capital Territory gave him further exposure to the demands of managing security across different environments. In Rivers, he was associated with an operation that led to the neutralisation of Gift Okpara, popularly known as General 2Baba, a figure linked to the notorious Iceland cult group in the Ahoada West axis. His experience across these commands gave him an unusual combination of tactical and administrative exposure before his elevation to the highest police office.

One of the earliest indications of the direction of Disu’s administration was the emphasis on measurable operational outcomes. At his emergency conference with senior police officers on May 5, 2026, he presented the Force’s operational results for April. According to the figures released by the Police Force, intelligence-led operations during the month resulted in: 28 suspected terrorists arrested. 85 suspected kidnappers arrested. 62 suspected armed robbers arrested. 51 murder and culpable homicide suspects arrested. 54 suspected cultists arrested. 189 kidnapped victims rescued.
140 assorted firearms recovered. 1,074 rounds of ammunition recovered. 37 stolen vehicles recovered.

These figures provided an early indication of the administration’s emphasis on coordinated operations against violent crime. The following month, during the June 9 strategic conference, Disu disclosed another set of operational results recorded since the previous review in May. The Force reported the arrest of eight suspected terrorists, 55 kidnapping suspects, 65 armed robbery suspects, 29 murder suspects and 42 suspected cultists. It also reported the rescue of 88 kidnapped victims and the recovery of 114 firearms, 843 rounds of ammunition and 28 stolen vehicles.

These are not merely figures for a press briefing. Behind every rescued kidnap victim is a family that has been spared the uncertainty and trauma of prolonged captivity. Behind every recovered weapon is a potential instrument of violence removed from circulation. Behind every disrupted criminal network is an opportunity for a community to regain some measure of normal life. The figures are official police operational reports and should be understood as the Force’s reported results, rather than proof that Nigeria’s security challenges have been resolved.
Nevertheless, they demonstrate the operational tempo that the IGP has sought to sustain.

Perhaps the clearest snapshot of the scale of operations under Disu came during the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri. At the conference, which focused on preparations for effective security management during the 2027 general elections, the IGP presented an operational scorecard covering the period since his assumption of office in February.
The figures were substantial.

When the history of this administration is eventually written, the figures from its operational scorecards will occupy an important place.
The 1,066 kidnapped victims reported rescued, the hundreds of suspects arrested, the firearms recovered, the VCRU, the crime database initiative, the strengthening of accountability mechanisms and the renewed emphasis on community policing will all form part of the record. But the most enduring measure of Disu’s leadership will be what Nigerians feel when they encounter the police. Can they trust the officer at the checkpoint? Can a victim report a crime without being humiliated? Can communities provide intelligence without fear of retaliation? Can a police officer reject an unlawful order and still expect institutional protection? Can the Force investigate one of its own with the same determination it applies to an ordinary criminal suspect?

These are the questions that separate administration from transformation. Disu has brought to the office a long record of operational experience, a clear reform agenda and an early set of measurable results. He has also inherited security problems that cannot be resolved by one man or one institution. His responsibility is to keep the momentum, deepen the reforms and ensure that every command across the country understands that professional policing is not optional. For a young officer watching from a divisional station, the journey from Ago-Iwoye to Force Headquarters should be a reminder that dedication and professionalism can take a career a long way. The hope is that the same journey will produce something even more important, a police institution that listens, protects, investigates, serves and earns the confidence of the people.

Among the most consequential decisions of Disu’s administration has been the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).
Announced on May 5, 2026, the initiative involved restructuring and upgrading the existing state-level tactical response arrangements, including the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units.
The idea was to create a more specialised formation capable of responding to serious and violent crimes through intelligence-based deployment, professional training and clearly defined operational responsibilities.
But what makes the initiative particularly important is the emphasis on accountability.
The IGP made it clear that the VCRU would not be deployed on speculation, prejudice or arbitrary orders. Officers assigned to the formation were to receive specialised training in tactical operations, intelligence analysis, human rights compliance and rules of engagement. Commissioners of Police were also made directly responsible for the conduct, discipline and operational results of the units in their respective states. This is an important departure from the idea that a tactical formation should be judged only by the number of arrests it makes or the force it deploys. A tactical police unit must be effective, but it must also be lawful. Its officers must understand that the authority to use force comes with an obligation to respect human life and the Constitution. The VCRU, if consistently implemented and properly supervised, could become one of the most important operational reforms of the Disu administration. It is an attempt to make specialised policing more professional, accountable and responsive to the realities of violent crime.

The recovery of 947 firearms and more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition also points to the importance of disrupting the supply of weapons used by criminal groups. For an institution operating across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, coordinating such operations requires more than issuing directives from Abuja. It requires intelligence, command coordination, cooperation among units and the willingness of state commanders to take responsibility for results. The scorecard does not mean that insecurity has disappeared. Kidnapping, banditry, terrorism and communal violence remain serious national problems. But it provides a measurable basis for assessing the operational activity of the Force under Disu’s leadership.

Perhaps the most difficult test of police leadership is not how it treats criminals, but how it responds when its own personnel are accused of wrongdoing. Disu has repeatedly placed internal discipline and accountability among the priorities of his administration. At the May 5 emergency conference, he addressed the incident involving the extra-judicial killing of a suspect in Delta State. He described the conduct as unlawful and inconsistent with the values of the Nigeria Police Force. He disclosed that the officers involved had been dismissed from service and that the case had been forwarded for criminal prosecution. The significance of this response lies in the message it sends to the entire institution: a police officer does not acquire the right to violate the law by wearing a uniform.
The IGP has also announced the strengthening and revitalisation of the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) and the X-Squad, which are expected to provide stronger mechanisms for addressing misconduct and enforcing professional standards. These mechanisms matter because public trust cannot be rebuilt through speeches alone. Citizens must have somewhere to report abuse, and those complaints must lead to credible investigations and consequences where wrongdoing is established. There is still much work to be done. Allegations of extortion, unlawful detention, excessive force and other forms of misconduct continue to challenge the reputation of the Force. But an administration that openly recognises the problem and strengthens the machinery for addressing it is taking an important step towards institutional accountability.
The real test will be consistency: whether the same standards apply to junior officers and senior commanders, whether investigations are transparent, and whether victims receive justice irrespective of the rank or influence of the officers involved.

Another important development under Disu has been the movement towards implementing the Nigeria Police Force Regulations, which provide a framework for professional and accountable policing. On April 15, 2026, he received the gazetted Police Regulations from the Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Ibrahim Gaidam. The regulations, issued pursuant to the Police Act 2020, are intended to translate the principles of the Act into practical standards governing police conduct, administration and operations.
Disu assured that the Force would disseminate the regulations across its commands and formations, integrate them into training and operational procedures, and enforce compliance.
This is significant because institutional reform cannot succeed if it remains confined to policy discussions in Abuja.

The officer at a divisional police station, the investigator handling a murder case, the tactical operative conducting an arrest and the commander supervising a state formation must all understand the same professional standards.
The regulations provide an opportunity to strengthen that consistency. It is also an opportunity to reduce the gap between what the law says the police should do and what Nigerians experience when they encounter police officers in their communities.

Disu’s administration has also emphasised the importance of accurate crime data and technology-driven investigations. On June 10, 2026, he charged investigators and heads of investigative units to improve the capture and management of suspects’ information under the Nigeria Police Force Crime and Incident Database Centre Project. The objective is to build a more reliable national database capable of supporting criminal investigations, identifying repeat offenders, connecting cases across jurisdictions and helping commanders understand emerging crime patterns. This is a critical reform for a country as large and diverse as Nigeria.
A criminal suspect arrested in one state may have links to offences committed in another. Without effective information-sharing, investigators may treat connected crimes as isolated incidents, allowing criminal networks to exploit jurisdictional gaps.

A reliable crime database can help investigators establish patterns, identify suspects and improve the quality of evidence available for prosecution.
The IGP’s emphasis on data-driven policing therefore reflects an understanding that modern crime-fighting requires more than patrol vehicles and armed personnel. It requires information that can be collected, verified, analysed and converted into operational decisions.

The challenge ahead will be ensuring that the database is properly funded, regularly updated, protected against misuse and accessible to authorised investigators across the country.
One of the most interesting aspects of Disu’s leadership is his repeated insistence that the police cannot secure Nigeria alone.

At his May conference, he directed
Commissioners of Police to organise regular town hall meetings with traditional rulers, religious leaders, market associations, youth organisations, women’s groups, transport unions and other community stakeholders.
He also directed commissioners to make their contact details accessible to community leaders.
This may appear to be a simple administrative instruction, but its significance should not be underestimated.

In many communities, residents have information about suspicious movements, criminal hideouts, planned attacks, kidnapping networks and individuals financing criminal activities. The problem is often that they do not know whom to approach, or they fear that providing information may expose them to danger. When police leadership is accessible, communication becomes easier. When communities believe their information will be treated responsibly, they are more likely to cooperate.

The IGP’s approach is an attempt to make community policing a practical working relationship rather than a slogan used during official ceremonies. His engagement with international development partners and diplomatic missions in May, as well as his participation in the US-Nigeria Country of Particular Concern Joint Working Group meeting in Washington in August, further demonstrated his interest in placing professional policing, civilian protection and community engagement within a broader national and international security framework.

Disu also moved early to engage with one of Nigeria’s most consequential security policy debates: the establishment of state police.
On March 4, 2026, during his inaugural conference with senior police officers, he inaugurated a steering committee to examine the proposed state policing framework.
The committee was tasked with studying policing models, assessing community security needs, reviewing recruitment and training requirements, considering resource allocation and proposing appropriate accountability and oversight mechanisms.

Importantly, Disu made clear that state police should complement rather than replace the Nigeria Police Force. This is a significant distinction. Nigeria’s security challenges vary considerably from one part of the country to another. The threats facing communities in the North-East are not identical to those confronting residents in the South-East, South-South, North-West or North-Central. A more localised policing structure could potentially improve response times, intelligence gathering and community participation. But it must also be designed carefully to prevent political interference, ethnic profiling and the abuse of police powers.
By establishing a committee to examine the issue, Disu placed the Nigeria Police Force within the conversation about the future architecture of internal security. The eventual success of such a reform will depend on constitutional clarity, professional standards, sustainable funding and credible oversight.

Another defining responsibility of the IGP is preparing the police for the 2027 general elections. At the 2026 Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, Disu challenged senior officers to remain neutral, prepared, present and accountable. His message was particularly important in a political environment where the conduct of security personnel can influence public confidence in the electoral process. He identified early intelligence gathering, intensive training, inter-agency coordination, technology-driven situational awareness, community engagement and strict political neutrality as key elements of election security.

The importance of these directives cannot be overstated. The police must protect voters, electoral officials, candidates, election materials and public infrastructure without becoming instruments of political interests. Every Nigerian must be able to approach a polling unit without fear of intimidation or violence. Every political party must have confidence that the police will enforce the law impartially. The 2027 elections will therefore provide one of the most visible tests of Disu’s ability to translate his reform agenda into national practice. A professional police institution must be able to demonstrate that its loyalty is to the Constitution and the Nigerian people, not to individual political actors.

A police force cannot be expected to perform at its best when the men and women who make up its ranks are neglected. Disu has repeatedly emphasised personnel welfare, discipline and leadership responsibility in his engagements with senior officers. This is an important area because the ordinary police officer is often the face of the institution in the eyes of the public.That officer may be posted to a remote community, work long hours, confront armed criminals and face personal danger while operating with limited resources. The welfare of such personnel must be taken seriously. Police housing, medical care, insurance, appropriate equipment, training, career progression and timely entitlements are not luxuries. They are essential elements of an effective security institution.

At the same time, welfare must go hand in hand with responsibility. An officer who receives the support of the institution must also understand that the uniform demands discipline, restraint and respect for human rights. This is the balance that Disu must continue to maintain: a police force whose personnel are properly supported but whose members are also held to high professional standards.

The recruitment of 50,000 police constables, which the IGP reported was progressing towards the final pre-training stage in August, also represents an important opportunity to address manpower gaps.

Leadership is not only demonstrated when security operations succeed. It is also revealed in how public institutions respond when the country experiences tragedy. Disu’s engagements in recent months have included visits to the Niger State Government following the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, where he commiserated with the governor and assured a thorough and transparent investigation.
He also visited the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, following the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash that claimed 25 lives, conveying the condolences and solidarity of the Nigeria Police Force to the Air Force and the bereaved families.

These engagements reflect the importance of inter-agency solidarity in a national security environment where no single institution can operate effectively in isolation. The police, military, civil defence, intelligence services and other agencies have different statutory responsibilities, but their shared objective is the protection of Nigerians. Such relationships are particularly important during emergencies, joint operations and national tragedies.

Before these incidences, the IGP visited virtually visited every state in the country where there is crises or attack to rejig the police officer and to listen first hand from state governors on their challenges.

Beyond the official statistics and command appointments, there is a human story that helps explain the personality of the man now leading the Force. One of the more memorable accounts associated with Disu was his return to Ago-Iwoye, where he had served earlier in his career as a Divisional Police Officer. He revisited the place where he once worked, his former residence and the farm associated with that period of his life.
The symbolism was powerful. A man who had risen from divisional policing to the office of Inspector-General of Police was willing to return to the environment where some of his earlier responsibilities had begun.

It was a reminder that the highest office in an institution does not erase the humble assignments through which a career is built.
For young police officers, the story carries a message about patience, dedication and professional development. For public servants generally, it is a reminder that leadership should not produce arrogance or a sense of entitlement.
The man who once supervised a division must remember what it means to answer complaints from ordinary residents, deal with limited resources and take responsibility for the safety of a community. That experience is valuable at the highest level of command.

Disu’s professional journey has also attracted recognition outside the Force. On September 26, 2026, his alma mater, St. Gregory’s College, honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to policing and public service. The award was presented at a reception organised by the St. Gregory’s College Old Boys Association, where he was honoured alongside the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Olayemi Cardoso. The recognition was particularly meaningful because it came from an institution associated with his formative years.
It also acknowledged more than three decades of service, including his work in operational policing, intelligence, criminal investigation, international peacekeeping and police leadership. While awards are not a substitute for public safety, recognition from professional and educational communities can provide an indication of the regard in which a public servant is held beyond his immediate institution

For all the progress reported, Disu’s leadership will ultimately be judged by the security and confidence Nigerians experience in their daily lives. A family whose relative is kidnapped will not be comforted simply by national arrest statistics. It wants its loved one rescued. A trader whose shop is attacked wants protection and justice. A farmer travelling to his land wants to return home safely. A young Nigerian stopped by the police wants to be treated with dignity. A victim of police abuse wants an investigation that does not end in silence. This is the everyday reality against which police leadership must be measured. The administration must therefore continue to confront several difficult issues: The persistent kidnapping and banditry networks operating across vulnerable parts of the country.

The need for stronger investigative capacity and successful prosecution of arrested suspects.
The challenge of police misconduct and the continuing public trust deficit. Inadequate manpower, equipment, logistics and operational funding. The need to protect police personnel while maintaining strict professional standards.
The danger of political interference in policing, particularly as the 2027 elections approach.
Perhaps the greatest test will be whether the reforms become permanent institutional practices rather than initiatives associated with one individual. The true success of an Inspector-General is not simply that he performs well while occupying the office. It is that he leaves behind an institution with better systems, stronger discipline, more capable personnel and greater public confidence.

There is a reason the story of Disu’s rise has attracted attention. It is the story of a career officer who has worked through different layers of policing, experienced the demands of tactical operations and intelligence assignments, commanded formations and eventually assumed responsibility for the entire institution.
His experience in Lagos showed that police officers could build a more positive relationship with citizens. His intelligence and anti-crime assignments demonstrated the importance of specialised operations. His present administration is attempting to bring those lessons into a nationwide framework.
The challenge is enormous because Nigeria is not an easy country to police. Its geographical size, population, economic pressures, criminal networks, porous borders, communal tensions and competing security demands place extraordinary responsibilities on the police.
Yet this is precisely why the office of the IGP matters.

The police are often the first institution citizens turn to when they are threatened, attacked, robbed, kidnapped or denied justice. Their response can determine whether people continue to believe in the state or lose confidence in its ability to protect them. For Disu, the opportunity is to make the Nigeria Police Force an institution that is not only feared by criminals but respected by citizens. An institution where an ordinary person can walk into a police station and expect to be heard. Where an officer can enforce the law without humiliating the innocent. Where a victim of crime is treated with compassion. Where a suspect is investigated professionally and prosecuted through due process. Where the powerful and the poor are subject to the same law. And where the police badge is understood not as a licence to exercise power over citizens, but as a responsibility to serve them.

The most enduring measure of Disu’s leadership will be what Nigerians feel when they encounter the police. Can they trust the officer at the checkpoint? Can a victim report a crime without being humiliated? Can communities provide intelligence without fear of retaliation? Can a police officer reject an unlawful order and still expect institutional protection? Can the Force investigate one of its own with the same determination it applies to an ordinary criminal suspect? These are the questions that separate administration from transformation.

Disu has brought to the office a long record of operational experience, a clear reform agenda and an early set of measurable results. He has also inherited security problems that cannot be resolved by one man or one institution. His responsibility is to keep the momentum, deepen the reforms and ensure that every command across the country understands that professional policing is not optional. For a young officer watching from a divisional station, the journey from Ago-Iwoye to Force Headquarters should be a reminder that dedication and professionalism can take a career a long way. For Nigerians, the hope is that the same journey will produce something even more important: a police institution that listens, protects, investigates, serves and earns the confidence of the people.

Ultimately, the greatest achievement of IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu will not be how many criminals the police arrest under his watch, but how many Nigerians begin to feel safe, protected and confident in the institution that exists to serve them.

Zagazola is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region

How IGP Tunji Disu is reshaping the Nigeria Police Force