President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday decorated Mr. Olatunji Disu with the insignia of office as the Acting Inspector-General of Police at a ceremony held at the State House, Abuja.
The decoration ceremony, which took place at about 4:00 p.m. in the President’s office, was attended by key government officials, including 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 Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Disu’s appointment comes just 48 days before his scheduled retirement on April 13, 2026, when he would have attained the mandatory retirement age of 60.
However, under the amended Police Act, which provides a four-year tenure for Inspectors-General of Police irrespective of age, Disu could remain in office until 2030 if confirmed as substantive IGP.
During the ceremony, President Tinubu personally pinned the new insignia on Disu’s uniform and commended outgoing IGP Egbetokun for his service to the nation.
The event followed Egbetokun’s resignation, which he submitted to the President on Tuesday, citing pressing family issues requiring his undivided attention. In a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for Egbetokun’s contributions to national security while announcing Disu’s appointment.
Onanuga disclosed that Disu would remain in an acting capacity pending confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council, in line with constitutional provisions.
“In compliance with the provisions of the Police Act 2020, President Tinubu will convene a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council shortly to formally consider the appointment of AIG Disu as substantive Inspector-General of Police, after which his name will be transmitted to the Senate for confirmation,” Onanuga said.
Disu’s elevation is also expected to trigger the retirement of at least nine Deputy Inspectors-General of Police, in line with the established convention that senior officers vacate their positions when a junior colleague is appointed IGP.
Among those potentially affected are senior officers currently serving at Force Headquarters, including DIG Adebola Hamzat (Logistics and Supply), DIG Mohammed Gumel (Force Intelligence Department), DIG Adebowale Williams (ICT) and former Force Public Relations Officer DIG Frank Mba, among others.
