Tunji Disu, Acting IGP: Tinubu Decorates Disu At State House, Abuja
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President Bola Tinubu, in a major headline on Wednesday, officially decorated Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), awarding him with his new rank at the State House in Abuja.
The ceremony took place around 4 p.m. inside the president’s office and was attended by key government officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, and the immediate past IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
During the event, President Tinubu personally pinned the new insignia on Tunji Disu, as the acting IGP, and commended Egbetokun for what he described as dedicated service to the nation.
The appointment of Tunji Disu as acting IGP came just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would attain the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
However, under the amended Police Act, which allows Inspector Generals of Police to serve a four-year tenure irrespective of age. This means that Tunji Disu could remain in office until 2030 if he is confirmed in a substantive capacity.
The development followed the resignation letter submitted by Kayode Egbetokun on Tuesday, where he cited family matters requiring his “undivided attention.”
But presidency sources revealed that the former IGP was asked to step down during a meeting with the president on Monday evening at the Presidential Villa.
“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” a senior official disclosed on condition of anonymity.
Tunji Disu will remain in an acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council. According to a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President will convene the Nigeria Police Council in compliance with the Police Act 2020 to consider Disu’s appointment.
After deliberations, his name will be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation as substantive Inspector General of Police.
The emergence of Tunji Disu as acting IGP is also expected to trigger a wave of retirements among senior officers in line with police tradition, which requires officers senior to the new IGP to step aside.
No fewer than nine Deputy Inspectors General of Police may be affected, including DIG Adebola Hamzat, DIG Mohammed Gumel, DIG Adebowale Williams, and DIG Frank Mba.
A source at the Police Service Commission disclosed that between 15 and 20 senior officers could eventually exit the force following the appointment of Tunji Disu as Acting IGP.
“Going by recent practice, Disu’s seniors might have to submit their resignation letters. Between 15 and 20 may resign,” the source stated.
Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos Island, Tunji Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force on May 18, 1992, and has served for more than three decades.
He is a graduate of Lagos State University and holds master’s degrees in public administration and criminology, security, and legal psychology. He has also attended specialized training programs in Botswana, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria.
Tunji Disu rose to prominence as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, where he rebranded officers as “The Good Guys.” Under his leadership, the unit won Best Anti-Crime Squad in West Africa in 2016.
In 2021, he was appointed head of the Intelligence Response Team, replacing suspended officer Abba Kyari, further cementing his profile before emerging as Acting Inspector General of Police.
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