President Bola Tinubu has removed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, from office and replaced him with Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Tunji Disu.

According to sources, the decision followed a directive from President Tinubu that Egbetokun should resign during a meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.

Egbetokun was appointed as the 22nd IGP on June 19, 2023. His substantive appointment was confirmed by the Nigeria Police Council on October 31, 2023.

At the time of his appointment, Egbetokun was 58 and was scheduled to retire upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 on September 4, 2024. However, his tenure had been controversially extended by the President beyond that date.

Details of the reasons behind the directive for his resignation have not been officially disclosed.

The appointment of AIG Tunji Disu as the new Acting IGP takes effect immediately, with expectations that he will lead the Nigeria Police Force through ongoing security challenges and organisational reforms. Statements from the Presidency or the Police Force are expected to provide further context on the transition.

The development marks another high-profile change at the top of Nigeria’s security leadership and comes amid continuing national discussions about policing reforms and strategies to address security concerns across the country.