By Evelyn Usman
On February 25, 2026, IGP Olatunji Disu took charge of the Nigeria Police Force with a solemn promise not to squander the confidence reposed in him. Today, that pledge is being tested against the hard realities of policing Nigeria , the crimes fought, the reforms pursued , the officers disciplined and the continuing effort to rebuild confidence in the Force
When the number one cop in Nigeria, IGP Disu assumed office as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police, he inherited more than a crime-fighting institution. He took over a Force grappling with the longstanding challenges of crime prevention, public confidence, internal discipline and operational effectiveness.
Since then, the police leadership has sought to reshape its approach around intelligence-led operations, internal accountability, tactical restructuring and closer engagement with communities.
A career officer with a strong operational background, Disu had served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, before his appointment. He previously commanded the Lagos Rapid Response Squad from 2015 to 2021, served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the FCT, and headed anti-kidnapping and anti-robbery operations in different parts of the country. He also led Nigeria’s first police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan in 2005 and holds a third-degree black belt in judo.
From command rooms to the streets, the months since his appointment have provided an early indication of the direction of his administration. But beyond arrests, recoveries and operational figures, a more fundamental question remains: how much has changed in the daily relationship between the police and the people they are sworn to protect?
Confronting the State Police Question
Barely a week in office, Disu signalled one of the major policy issues confronting policing in Nigeria.
On March 4, 2026, he inaugurated a committee on the implementation of state police, charging it with examining policing models, community security needs and the framework required for the establishment of state police.
The committee’s brief included issues around recruitment, training, standards and accountability.
Disu maintained that state police should not replace the Nigeria Police Force but complement the existing federal structure within a coordinated national security architecture.
The move placed the IGP at the centre of one of the country’s most consequential policing debates, how to bring policing closer to communities while maintaining national standards and accountability.
Confronting Impunity Within the Force
Internal discipline has also featured prominently in the administration’s early months.
Disu ordered the strengthening of the Complaints Response Unit and the Independent X-Squad, with emphasis on investigating allegations of misconduct. Commissioners of Police were also reminded of their responsibility for discipline and accountability within their commands.
His administration also moved to address the “Keep In View”, or KIV, culture, a practice described within the Force as allowing criminal cases to remain inactive for prolonged periods.
Reports on the reform effort said police monitoring mechanisms had identified cases requiring renewed attention, prompting directives for their activation and prosecution.
The administration also began reviewing operational responsibilities in an effort to reduce interference in sensitive investigations.
Dismissal Over Delta killing
That approach was tested in April, following the death of a suspect in police custody in Delta State.
Disu described the conduct as unlawful and a violation of human life. The officers involved were dismissed from the Force, while the case was forwarded for criminal prosecution.
The IGP subsequently directed a nationwide audit of police arms and reinforced accountability measures for Commissioners of Police.
The incident provided one of the clearest tests of the administration’s stated position on police discipline: whether allegations of misconduct would result in internal sanctions and, where applicable, criminal proceedings.
Operational Scorecard
If arrests, rescues and recoveries provide one measure of police activity, the figures recorded under IGP Disu, point to sustained operational pressure across the country.
In April 2026 alone, intelligence-led operations nationwide resulted in the arrest of 280 suspects, comprising 28 suspected terrorists, 85 suspected kidnappers, 62 suspected armed robbers, 51 murder suspects and 54 suspected cultists.
Within the same period, police rescued 189 kidnapped victims and recovered 140 firearms, 1,074 rounds of ammunition and 37 stolen vehicles.
Operations continued into the following months
In another operational update covering nationwide anti-crime operations, police reported the arrest of 1,198 suspects, including 151 suspects linked to murder and culpable homicide, 117 suspected armed robbers, 151 suspected kidnappers, 104 suspected cultists and 169 suspects for unlawful possession of firearms.
The operations also resulted in the rescue of 166 kidnap victims and the recovery of 166 firearms, 1,475 rounds of ammunition and 47 stolen vehicles.
By September, the Force’s reported cumulative figures since Disu assumed office stood at 1,643 suspects arrested and 1,066 kidnapped victims rescued.
The breakdown included 251 suspected terrorists and bandits, 343 murder suspects, 566 suspected armed robbery suspects and 483 suspected cultists.
The figures demonstrate the scale of police activity during the period, but they do not, on their own, establish whether insecurity has declined nationally or whether public confidence has improved. Those questions require broader indicators, including crime trends, case outcomes, response times and citizens’ experiences with the police.
Broader Security Challenge
The operational environment confronting the Force remains complex.
Data covering the first half of 2026 recorded thousands of major security incidents across the country, including terrorism and banditry, murder and homicide, armed robbery and kidnapping.
The North-Central recorded 1,662 incidents, while the North-West recorded 1,539. Zamfara accounted for 748 incidents in the North-West, including 322 terrorism and banditry cases and 222 murders.
Benue accounted for 518 incidents in the North-Central
In the South-South, 627 incidents were recorded, with Edo accounting for 126 kidnapping cases, while the South-West recorded 609 incidents, including 279 in Oyo State.
The figures provide context to the environment in which Disu’s administration has operated. They should, however, be distinguished from the IGP’s personal operational scorecard, particularly because the first-half data covers a period that began before he assumed office.
At the Joint Security Press Briefing in July, the police highlighted the dismantling of organised criminal networks, rescue of kidnapped victims, disruption of arms-trafficking channels and increased cooperation with the Armed Forces, INTERPOL and other security agencies.
New Tactical Architecture
Disu has also sought to reshape the Force’s tactical response to violent crime. The administration established the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU, as a restructured tactical formation designed to respond to violent crime on the basis of verified intelligence.
The units are placed under the command of Commissioners of Police in their respective states, with emphasis on accountability for their operations.
The IGP also approved new counter-terrorism bases in Madagali, Adamawa State; Ikot Odo, Cross River State; and Ode-Remo, Ogun State, as part of efforts to close identified security gaps.
The changes suggest an attempt to move the Force’s tactical response towards more specialised and intelligence-driven operations.
Returning Policing to Community
Beyond tactical operations, community engagement has remained another plank of the administration.
Disu met with the leadership of the Police Community Relations Committee on several occasions and described the group as an important partner in intelligence gathering and community policing.
He also directed Commissioners of Police to strengthen engagement with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, market associations and other community stakeholders.
The administration has emphasised the need for police officers to maintain direct channels of communication with communities, including making official contact numbers available to community leaders.
The underlying proposition is straightforward: intelligence gathering becomes more effective when citizens are willing to communicate with the police.
But translating that proposition into sustained public confidence remains one of the more difficult tests facing the Force.
Welfare and Promotions
Checks by Saturday Vanguard showed that personnel welfare has also featured in the administration’s agenda.
More than 33,000 police personnel were promoted during the period, including 17,952 junior officers.
Speaking to newly decorated senior officers, Disu described the promotions as a strategic investment in leadership and charged the beneficiaries to maintain discipline and reject corruption.The administration has also spoken of improved welfare, housing and pension arrangements for personnel.
For a Force whose operational effectiveness depends heavily on the morale and conditions of its personnel, welfare remains closely connected to the broader question of professionalism.
Beyond the Numbers
The figures tell one part of the story. They show arrests made, victims rescued, weapons recovered, tactical formations established and personnel promoted.
But policing is ultimately experienced beyond statistics , at the police station, on the highway, at checkpoints, during investigations and in communities where citizens either seek police assistance or avoid contact with law enforcement.
A review published by The Eagle Online noted the administration’s emphasis on bringing command closer to operations and strengthening internal oversight, while cautioning that the larger test remained the credibility of the institution.
That distinction is important.
Operational successes can demonstrate capacity. They do not, by themselves, resolve longstanding questions about accountability, professionalism, police-community relations and public confidence.
Building Momentum
About eight months into his tenure, IGP Olatunji Disu has provided clear leadership and strategic direction for the Nigeria Police Force.. His administration has prioritised intelligence-led policing, internal accountability, tactical reorganisation, structured engagement on state policing, sustained community partnership and enhanced personnel welfare, pillars that are gradually reshaping operational effectiveness.
While national crime data for the first half of 2026 highlights the enormity and complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, the Force under Disu has shown renewed capacity, coordination and resolve in confronting them.
What will define the next phase is not arrests and recoveries alone, but follow-through: progression of cases, justice for victims, handling of police misconduct, community response, and whether reforms initiated at the top filter down to everyday policing. The early months have set a direction. The task ahead is institutionalising it.
