New IGP Disu: Tinubu Recalls Lagos Record Amidst National Challenge
By: Abudu Olalekan
From Lagos streets to national duty – Olatunji Disu steps into the role of Acting IGP under President Tinubu’s appointment. Past work there shaped the decision. Facing Nigeria’s deep-rooted safety issues now takes center stage, backed by the highest office.
Heavy air filled the State House on Wednesday. Expectation sat like stone in the room. Tension had nothing to do with it. Someone new was stepping into power. Maybe not today, but soon enough. The event carried rules and rituals, yet somehow touched something close. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president of the nation, placed insignia on Olatunji Disu. From that moment, he became the country’s Acting Inspector-General of Police.
This moment stood apart from the usual exchanges. Something in the air made it seem unlike any before.
When the President placed the fresh insignia on Disu’s shoulder, he spoke without rehearsed phrases. Not empty praise. Sharp sentences followed one after another. Weight behind each word. “This role is yours by my choice,” Tinubu said, eyes locked ahead. Silence stretched before he added more. “Your past work stands clear to me. Especially what unfolded in Lagos – when I led that state.”
Back then, things were different. Among the noise and motion of Lagos roads, old ties resurface. This pick? Not luck. Built on proof he’d already watched unfold. What stands behind it: your record speaks, so let it speak louder now.
It really could use a change right now. More than ever.
Things are tough, President Tinubu made that clear. Nigeria faces serious problems, he said without holding back. Violence from armed gangs, terrorist attacks – these aren’t rare events anymore, they shape lives across regions. Crime in many forms has taken root where peace should be. The weight of it all? Heavy. He stopped for a moment, then spoke again. There’s belief behind his voice – he trusts what comes next will matter
Disu got handed a huge task. Steer the team with strength, yet keep things just. Bring back trust people lost in the police. Turn solid conduct into the norm, not something rare. Most importantly, let protecting people and their belongings rise high on the agenda again. A heavy load, truly. Yet Tinubu tossed a vital promise: “My word stands, I stand fully behind you.”
Yet it wasn’t only the incoming leader who heard words that day. His gaze shifted – landing on Kayode Egbetokun, the leaving IGP, standing quiet beside his wife. Silence hung, then warmth filled the air. Gratitude shaped each phrase. The head of state called him someone Nigeria owed respect to, noting steady hands during hard times keeping streets calm.
A thought followed. Not just advice, but an appeal – to guide what comes next. He asked Egbetokun to stand beside the one taking over, to keep offering direction. Tinubu spoke plainly: “No victory stands if there’s no worthy hand to pass it to.” The fates of both men tied together now. What the new leader achieves will reflect back on you. Strength isn’t only in leading – it shows in how well you prepare those after.
There stood the heavyweights, eyes fixed ahead. Nuhu Ribadu, holding the line as National Security Adviser. Femi Gbajabiamila, steering things close to the President. Delta State’s own Sheriff Oborevwori, present among them. Others stood nearby, Disu’s relatives among them, eyes on what comes next. Though the council and Senate must sign off as always, the moment had already shifted. Steps forward were taken.
The crowd had left. Smiles faded into silence. Now, with the echoes of applause behind him, Acting IGP Olatunji Disu stepped forward – not toward celebration, but duty. A president’s trust rested on his shoulders. So did the quiet expectation of millions.
