President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday formally invested Mr Tunji Disu with the rank of Acting Inspector-General of Police at the State House, Abuja, signalling a change of guard in the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.
The ceremony, which took place shortly after his swearing-in, commenced around 3pm during an enlarged session attended by senior government functionaries and top security chiefs.
With the new appointment, the 59-year-old Lagos indigene becomes the 23rd Inspector-General of Police in the country’s history.
Disu arrived at the Presidential Villa about 2:50pm ahead of the event and held a brief meeting with the President before the decoration, underscoring the formal transition at the apex of the Force.
His elevation followed the resignation of the former IGP, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, which was approved by the President on Tuesday.
In a statement issued by the Presidential spokesman, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President confirmed that he had accepted Egbetokun’s resignation after the outgoing police chief cited urgent family concerns in his letter.
Egbetokun had led the Force since 2023.
Disu’s appointment takes immediate effect, pending confirmation by the Senate as stipulated in the Police Act 2020.
The Nigeria Police Council is also expected to deliberate on his nomination for substantive confirmation.
Until his new role, Disu served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
He previously held key positions, including Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and once headed the Intelligence Response Team where he supervised several notable operations.
A member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Disu brings years of operational and administrative experience to the office.
His appointment comes barely 48 days before his mandatory retirement at 60 or after 35 years of service, in line with existing police regulations.
It also followed the 2024 amendment to the Police Act, which introduced a fixed four-year tenure for Inspectors-General of Police.
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Those present at the ceremony included the immediate past IGP, Egbetokun; the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Commander of the Brigade of Guards; and other senior security officials. Disu’s parents were also in attendance.
