Newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, took formal command of the force on Wednesday in Abuja, hours after his decoration by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
The handover at Louis Edet House, the Police headquarters, began around 4.40pm – delayed from an earlier 2pm slot – with IGP Disu arriving alongside senior officers from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command, intelligence response unit and the force headquarters.
NewsQuest reports that a quarter guard offered a ceremonial salute as the event unfolded, still ongoing at press time.
Disu’s appointment by Tinubu on Tuesday followed the resignation of his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun.
It comes against a backdrop of public calls for reform, amid long-standing allegations of police brutality, corruption and inefficiency.
Earlier at the Presidential Villa, President Tinubu charged IGP Disu to lead with “courage, integrity and unwavering commitment to the constitution” in tackling Nigeria’s “daunting” security crises, from banditry and terrorism in the North-West and North-East to kidnappings in some cities across the country.
“Your decoration today is not simply a conferment of rank, but a solemn charge to serve Nigeria,” the President said, praising Disu’s “proven record” from his time as Lagos Governor and hailing him as “straightforward, committed and respected”.
