The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, on Wednesday charged senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force to uphold accountability and professionalism as he inaugurated an eight member committee to oversee the implementation of state police across the country.
Disu, who recently emerged as the 23rd indigenous Inspector General of Police, made the call during his first formal engagement with top hierarchy of the Force after his confirmation by the Nigeria Police Council.
His appointment was earlier ratified before he was sworn in by Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
The committee, chaired by Professor Olu Ogunsakin, is expected to coordinate the framework and operational roadmap for the proposed decentralisation of policing.
The initiative forms part of ongoing security sector reforms aimed at strengthening grassroots security architecture.
Addressing senior officers, the IGP declared that leadership “is not about position but responsibility,” insisting that conduct and operations across commands must be guided by discipline and transparency.
He stressed that authority must be exercised with restraint and that respect for human rights remains fundamental to policing in a democratic society.
According to him, every Nigerian deserves to be treated with dignity and fairness, irrespective of status or background.
Disu also directed that internal accountability mechanisms be strengthened.
He ordered that the Public Complaints Unit and the X Squad be empowered to function independently in order to improve oversight and public trust.
On the state police initiative, the IGP explained that decentralisation would allow different tiers of government to play more active roles in tackling insecurity, particularly at the local level.
The inauguration comes at a time of heightened security concerns nationwide, with rising cases of kidnapping, banditry and community attacks fuelling renewed calls for structural reforms in the policing system.
Disu was appointed Acting Inspector General of Police on February 24, 2026, following the resignation of his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun. His appointment was later unanimously endorsed by the Nigeria Police Council, clearing the path for his confirmation as substantive IGP.
