The Nigeria Police Force has a new sheriff in town as Tunji Disu on Wednesday assumed office as the acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
Disu, 59, formally took over at a brief ceremony held at the Louis Edet House in Abuja, shortly after being decorated as acting IGP by Bola Tinubu.
His decoration came a day after the President appointed him as Nigeria’s top cop.
Speaking after the immediate past IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, handed over to him, Disu pledged to lead a professional, modern and accountable police force.
“My tenure will be built on three clear commitments: Professionalism, Modernism, and Accountability,” he told a gathering of senior officers, dignitaries and family members.
The former head of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad said he would demand excellence from officers nationwide.
“To all officers, I will demand the best from you because the people we serve deserve nothing less. Integrity, compassion and courage are not optional qualities; they are the job,” he said.
He also promised to prioritise officers’ welfare, dignity and working conditions, assuring them they would not be expected to “perform miracles with nothing.”
“Leadership in this service from this day forward must be visible, accountable and worthy of being followed,” Disu added.
Though his appointment surprised many, the Lagos-born officer said it was time to focus on the task ahead.
“This is not the end of a ceremony. This is the beginning of the work,” he said, thanking President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve.
Disu’s appointment followed the resignation of Egbetokun, who stepped down citing pressing family reasons.
In his remarks, Egbetokun urged his successor to consolidate on the gains recorded during his tenure.
“As I hand over to my successor—one chosen among the best—I do so with confidence in his competence, experience and strategic capacity,” he said.
He highlighted reforms undertaken during his tenure, including strengthened inter-agency collaboration, enhanced accountability, improved officer welfare, timely promotions, expanded housing initiatives and capacity development programmes.
Egbetokun also noted that targeted operations under his leadership disrupted organised kidnapping networks and contained violent criminal syndicates.
“Public trust cannot be commanded by authority; it must be earned through integrity, transparency and measurable results,” he said.
