Tinubu to swear in Disu as IG after council approval
By: Abudu Olalekan
Wednesday brings the oath-taking for Olatunji Disu, named head of police by President Tinubu. The council backing law enforcement in Nigeria gave its approval first. A cabinet gathering sets the scene for the official handover.
Midweek marks the moment. At last, Olatunji Disu takes charge as full-time police chief under President Bola Tinubu’s appointment. The ceremony unfolds on Wednesday.
Later that day, the event unfolds alongside the Federal Executive Council gathering, said Bayo Onanuga. As President’s aide for Info and Strategy, he shared details Monday through an official release.
Not a single person objected when her name came up. Monday’s meeting of the Nigeria Police Council ended with full support – Disu got the nod without debate.
That Monday gathering inside Abuja’s State House felt different somehow. Sitting up front was President Tinubu, guiding things along. Not far behind him, Vice President Kashim Shettima kept watch. Governors from across states arrived one after another. In the mix too stood Hashimu Argungu, former deputy inspector general, now chairing the Police Service Commission. All steps followed what the constitution allows, nothing more, nothing less.
Not far behind came George Akume, holding the role of Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Sitting nearby was National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. Femi Gbajabiamila slipped into his seat as Chief of Staff. Across from him sat Minister of Police Affairs Ibrahim Gaidam. Adding weight were FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Head of Service Mrs Esther Walson-Jack.
That’s when it shifted. Praise poured in from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for Disu. His words warmed around the officer’s past work, especially those years leading the Rapid Response Squad from 2015 onward. Time moved differently back then. Recognition followed him – sharp, undeniable – for how he shaped crime outcomes across Lagos.
From Nasarawa State, Governor Abdullahi Sule added his voice. His praise came after observing how carefully the decision had been made – Disu rose through performance, nothing more, nothing less.
Up next was Wike. Praise came from the FCT Minister, once leader of Rivers State, who spoke of Disu’s steady hand in tough situations. That respect? It wasn’t guesswork – he’d seen it firsthand. Back in 2014, Disu stepped into Rivers as Assistant Commissioner, leading both CID and the team chasing kidnappers until 2015.
Still, it went further. Afterward came his role as police boss in the FCT, timed with Wike’s stretch as minister. Efficiency earned praise – clean operations, sharp responses – and under his watch, real shifts took hold where safety mattered most.
Standing beside the decision, Enugu’s governor backed Peter Mbah’s nomination. Everyone agreed without exception.
Few days passed before the change took place. Right after last Tuesday, when Egbetokun stepped down, Tinubu named Disu as temporary chief. Now, just a short while later, he gets the official role.
Family matters were named by Egbetokun as the reason he stepped down. Yet something else flickered beneath the surface. According to Reportersroom, a call came through – straight from the Presidential Villa – asking him to leave the post. Pushback against pulling police from guarding VIPs played a role. So did standing firm against state-level policing plans. Then there was talk of targeting coworkers in quiet, sharp ways. Oh yes, family concerns too.
Who Is Olatunji Disu?
Fifty nine turns the page for him now. April thirteenth, nineteen sixty six, that’s when Lagos State saw his first breath. On May eighteenth, nineteen ninety two, he stepped into the Nigeria Police Force – title pinned: Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police. Three decades? Yes, time stacked up quietly behind those steps.
What stands out first is how much he’s studied. Degrees piling up across public admin, forensics, crime science, safety systems, law-minded psychology, also business building. The head of state claims this shows a clear push toward smarter, updated police work. Might seem like political talk – except every claim ties to an actual diploma.
Ahead of that role, Disu held the rank of Assistant Inspector-General, overseeing both the Special Protection Unit and the Force CID Annex in Lagos. High up in the hierarchy, clearly.
Funny how paths cross like that. Just as Egbetokun did before her, Disu worked under President Tinubu when he led Lagos State between 1999 and 2007. Life has a way of looping back.
Back then, their jobs weren’t the same. One held the rank of Chief Security Officer, while the other carried duties as an aide beside Tinubu. In Lagos, through early days, they stood near him, step for step. Time has it, those moments stuck around long after.
Out there, Wednesday’s event marks more than just a formality – it confirms what most folks have long expected. With years under his belt, Disu isn’t new to the role. His background checks every box needed. Backing from major figures nationwide makes the moment feel less like a surprise, more like an arrival.
What shifts might come next. Could the pullback on VIP security – same issue that tripped up the last leader – actually happen under him. The argument around state-level police powers, where does he land there. Answers will appear when they do.
Fresh plans take shape ahead of Wednesday’s event. Set against a council gathering, change moves forward. Attendees include ministers, leading public servants, others from high ranks in policing.
A fresh start now shapes the path ahead for the Nigeria Police Force. With Egbetokun stepping down without warning weeks earlier, confusion lingered until steady guidance returned.
Into large footsteps walks Disu. Across many parts of Nigeria, safety crumbles – officers lack tools, communities doubt the force, violence spreads. Change must come, deep and wide. He has seen such hurdles before, his past shows that much.
For some officers, the week feels endless without clear guidance at the top. Clarity arrives when the new leader takes the oath.
