Disu Inaugurates State Police Panel After Confirmation as IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Wednesday inaugurated an eight-member panel to drive the implementation of state policing and advance his reform agenda, shortly after his confirmation as the 23rd indigenous IGP.

Disu unveiled the committee at his maiden conference with senior officers at the Peacekeeping Conference Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The development was disclosed in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.

The meeting convened top strategic leaders of the Nigeria Police Force to review institutional priorities and pressing national security concerns.

Professor Olu Ogunsakin, Director-General of the National Institute for Police Studies, was appointed to chair the committee, with CP Bode Ojajuni named as secretary.

Other members include DCP Okebechi Agora, DCP Suleyman Gulma, ACP Ikechukwu Okafor, CSP Tolulope Ipinmisho, and retired CP Emmanuel Ojukwu, who currently serves as Provost of the Police Public Relations School.

Addressing the force’s top hierarchy, the IGP emphasised that leadership is defined by responsibility rather than title, urging officers to uphold professionalism and accountability across all commands.

He further clarified that the proposed state policing structure is designed to complement — not replace — the Nigeria Police Force, operating within a coordinated national security framework aimed at strengthening cohesion and institutional effectiveness.

He emphasised that authority is strongest when exercised with restraint and that respect for human rights must remain fundamental, adding that every Nigerian should be treated with dignity, fairness, and justice, regardless of status or background.

Disu also announced plans to strengthen internal oversight, directing that the Public Complaint Unit and X-Squad be empowered to operate independently.

On decentralisation, he said the move would allow different levels of government to play an active role in security.

The inauguration of the state police implementation committee comes at a critical time for the Nigeria Police Force, following a leadership change at the top.

President Bola Tinubu appointed Disu as the Acting Inspector‑General of Police on February 24, 2026, after the resignation of his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun.

Disu’s elevation came after a meeting between the outgoing Inspector-General of Police and the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. His nomination was subsequently ratified unanimously by the Nigeria Police Council.

He is scheduled to be officially sworn in as substantive IGP at Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

His appointment comes at a time of mounting security concerns nationwide, with increasing incidents of kidnappings, banditry and attacks on communities.

The push for state policing, a key policy of the current administration, forms part of wider security reforms intended to decentralise law enforcement authority and improve operational responsiveness at the grassroots level.