Will Tunji Disu be Nigeria’s shortest-serving IGP?
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This was the same legal lifeline that extended the stay of his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun, who was initially due for retirement in September 2024 after clocking 60 but remained in office until his resignation on Tuesday.
By Tolulope Oke
Fresh questions are already trailing the appointment of Tunji Disu as Acting Inspector-General of Police by President Bola Tinubu and not because of his credentials, but because of the clock.
Disu’s elevation to the top job comes barely 48 days to his mandatory retirement under existing regulations governing the Nigeria Police Force.
The new police boss, who was born on April 13, 1966, enlisted into the force on May 18, 1992, and would ordinarily be expected to bow out of service upon attaining the age of 60 or completing 35 years in service, whichever comes first.
By that calculation, had he not been named Acting IGP on February 24, Disu would have retired in less than two months.
However, his appointment may yet change that trajectory.
Under recent amendments to the Police Act by the National Assembly, an Inspector-General of Police is now entitled to serve out a full four-year tenure, regardless of age or years already spent in service, unless he resigns or is removed by the President.
This was the same legal lifeline that extended the stay of his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun, who was initially due for retirement in September 2024 after clocking 60 but remained in office until his resignation on Tuesday.
Now, attention has shifted to whether Tunji Disu’s late arrival at the helm could still translate into one of the longest tenures or if unforeseen developments could make him Nigeria’s shortest-serving police chief.
A career officer with over three decades of experience, Disu holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Lagos State University, alongside postgraduate and master’s degrees in Public Administration, International Relations, and Criminology.
His service record includes leadership roles as Divisional Police Officer across several states, Commander of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad between 2015 and 2021, and head of the Intelligence Response Team in 2021.
He also served as Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory, before his promotion to Assistant Inspector-General of Police in March 2025.
Before his appointment, Tunji Disu was AIG in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
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