In a transition heavy with expectation and symbolism, Olatunji Ridwan Disu on Tuesday formally assumed office as the 23rd indigenous Inspector-General of Police, stepping into the nation’s top law enforcement role at a defining moment for internal security. His emergence signals both continuity and recalibration within the hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force.
He succeeds Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, who bowed out after a tenure spanning June 19, 2023 to February 24, 2026. Egbetokun’s stewardship, marked by reform-driven initiatives and institutional recalibration, now gives way to a new command philosophy under Disu.
Born on April 13, 1966, and a native of Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State, Disu brings to the office an imposing academic portfolio. His credentials traverse criminology, public administration, forensic investigation, international relations and entrepreneurship, an intellectual depth that mirrors the complexity of modern policing.
An alumnus of the Lagos State University, Adekunle Ajasin University and the National Open University of Nigeria, Disu’s academic trajectory underscores a career shaped by strategic learning and professional refinement, culminating in advanced studies in security and legal psychology as recently as 2022.
Enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police on May 18, 1992, the new Acting IGP has, over three decades, traversed operational, investigative, intelligence and administrative beats across the federation. Until his elevation, he served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
His service record reads like a map of Nigeria’s most sensitive policing theatres. From Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State Commands to Deputy Commissioner of Police and Head of the Intelligence Response Team, Disu has commanded at the frontline of some of the nation’s most complex security operations.
Notably, he led the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos between 2015 and 2021, a period that tested urban policing frameworks amid evolving criminal patterns. Earlier assignments saw him head anti-kidnapping and anti-robbery units in Rivers, Ondo and Oyo States, while also serving as Aide-de-Camp to a former Lagos State governor, roles that blended tactical precision with executive exposure.
On the international stage, Disu etched his name in history by leading the first-ever Nigerian Police contingent to the African Union Mission in Sudan in 2005, deployed to stabilise the Darfur crisis. The assignment burnished his credentials in peacekeeping and multinational security coordination.
Beyond policing, Disu is an accomplished martial artist, a third-degree black belt holder in judo and a former National Chairman of the Nigeria Police Judo Association. His sporting discipline mirrors the ethos of resilience and balance he is expected to bring to the Force.
As he settles into office, the Acting IGP has pledged to consolidate ongoing reforms, deepen professionalism, strengthen community partnerships and reinforce the Force’s mandate to safeguard lives and property. The Nigeria Police Force, while expressing profound appreciation to the outgoing IGP, now rallies officers, stakeholders and citizens alike to support a new leadership poised to navigate Nigeria’s evolving security terrain.