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Just in: IGP Disu, disbands all police units, squads across federation, orders restructuring
There is disquiet within the Nigeria Police Force following an order by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu directing the immediate dissolution of multiple tactical units operating across commands nationwide.
Affected units reportedly include Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Anti-Cultism, Anti-Kidnapping, Scorpion Squad, Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Monitoring Units, Tiger Squad, Gender Units, Anti-Robbery squads,among others.
The directive, communicated through an internal wireless message obtained by SaharaReporters, was issued after a recent virtual meeting between senior police officers and the IGP.
According to the message, all existing tactical teams at the command, area command, and divisional levels, regardless of their operational names, have been ordered dissolved with immediate effect.
Following the IGP’s directives at the just concluded Zoom meeting with Commissioners of Police and above, all existing tactical teams at commands are being reformed into two, with operational names to be provided by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations,” the message read in part.
The signal further specified that units such as “Lion, Tiger, Scorpion squads and others by whatever names called” are no longer to operate in their current form.
Under the new arrangement, only area commands and divisional surveillance units are permitted to function temporarily, pending further directives.
Personnel from the disbanded units are to be redeployed into conventional policing structures, including patrol and guard duties, the Divisional Crime Branch (DCB), Juvenile and Women Centre (JWC), and general beat assignments.
“The dissolved teams are to be subsumed into patrol and guard, DCB, JWC and beat with immediate effect,” the directive added.
The police hierarchy also indicated that further details regarding the restructuring would be unveiled during the end-of-month Officers’ Conference scheduled for March 26, 2026.
While the rationale behind the sweeping reform was not explicitly stated, the move comes amid longstanding public concerns over the conduct of certain tactical units, many of which have been accused of human rights abuses, extortion, and extrajudicial operations.
This is coming a few days after the IGP ordered a special resit promotion examination and interactive session for senior officers who were reportedly overlooked in previous cycles.
A confidential police wireless message obtained by SaharaReporters, dated March 16, 2026, shows that the Police Service Commission (PSC) has rescheduled the exercise for Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), Chief Superintendents of Police (CSPs), and Superintendents of Police (SPs) who were “not successful” in the December 2025 and March 2026 promotion cycles.
Insiders revealed on Wednesday that the affected officers were allegedly sidelined by a sophisticated bribery scheme orchestrated during the tenure of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
According to sources, Egbetokun’s leadership, with the alleged complicity of senior PSC officials, systematically blocked deserving officers from promotions while advancing junior officers who paid large bribes, effectively stalling the careers of senior personnel.
The current IGP is reportedly moving to “reconsider and rectify” these injustices by providing a transparent window for the sidelined officers to earn their next ranks.
The signal, issued by Nigeria Police Force Secretary, directs all commands to release the affected officers to attend the interview as scheduled. To ensure the integrity of the process, the officers are “strongly advised to refresh their memories” in core areas including professional studies, law, and local acts.
The IGP has also ordered a high-security detail for the exercise.
The AIGPOL MOPOL is required to provide “twelve (12) neatly turned-out armed men for escort duty,” while the transport wing (TRANSFOR) is to provide “two (2) serviceable Hilux vans” to be placed on standby at the FHQ Parade Ground by 06:00 HRS.
Sahara Reporters
Two major gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, Mr Adebayo Adelabu and Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, have picked the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The duo picked the forms on Wednesday in Abuja.
Adelabu is the immediate past Minister of Power and hails from Ibadan.
Alli, on the other hand, currently represents Oyo South Senatorial District on the platform of the APC.
He is also an indigene of Ibadan, the state capital.
Recall that Adelabu’s Personal Assistant, Mr Ajiboye, picked up the form on behalf of his boss at the APC Secretariat in Abuja.
Alli, on his part, collected the form himself in Abuja.
Alli was accompanied by some members of the House of Representatives, among whom were Remi Oseni, Akeem Adeyemi, Olamiju Alao-Akala, and Akin Alabi.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has urged the government of South Africa to step up protection for Nigerians and other black immigrants following reports of renewed xenophobic violence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, April 29, NIDCOM Chairman/CEO Abike Dabiri-Erewa warned that the situation had worsened despite earlier diplomatic engagements between both countries.
According to the commission, recent reports suggest children of Nigerian descent are now afraid to attend school, while business owners are reluctant to open their shops for fear of looting, harassment and targeted attacks. Community leaders have also documented fresh incidents of violence and intimidation within the past 72 hours.
NIDCOM appealed to South African authorities to take “urgent and visible steps” to safeguard foreign nationals, citing obligations under international law and African Union protocols on free movement and human rights.
The commission rejected what it described as the profiling of Nigerians, stressing that crime should be treated as an individual matter. “Crime has no nationality,” the statement said, adding that offenders should be prosecuted under South African law rather than entire communities being stigmatised.
Among its demands, NIDCOM called for increased police patrols in areas where Nigerians live and work, swift arrests and prosecutions of perpetrators, and the creation of a joint Nigeria-South Africa community safety forum involving police, city officials and diaspora leaders.
The commission also urged South African authorities to issue clear public messages condemning xenophobia and stereotyping.
Nigerians living in South Africa were advised to remain law-abiding and avoid high-risk areas after dark. NIDCOM said it is in contact with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, the consulate in Johannesburg, and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
While condemning the attacks, the commission praised the majority of South Africans who continue to live peacefully with other Africans, expressing confidence in the longstanding ties between both nations and pledging continued diplomatic engagement to protect Nigerians abroad.
The Nigeria Police Force has ordered the dismissal and prosecution of officers involved in the fatal shooting of Mr. Mene Ogidi in Effurun, Delta State, following the tragic incident that occurred on April 26, 2026.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, directed the immediate withdrawal of all officers linked to the incident from the Delta State Command to Force Headquarters, Abuja, where they underwent accelerated disciplinary proceedings.
The statement revealed that the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC), after a thorough review, found that the principal officer, ASP Nuhu Usman, acted in gross violation of Force Order 237 and other established regulations guiding the use of firearms.
The committee described his actions as unlawful, unprofessional, and a serious betrayal of the oath sworn to protect lives and uphold the law.
Following the findings, the FDC recommended the immediate dismissal of ASP Nuhu Usman and other officers found culpable in the incident.
The Inspector-General of Police has since approved the recommendation and forwarded it to the Police Service Commission for ratification in line with due process.
The Force also confirmed that upon completion of the administrative procedures, the affected officers would be handed over to the appropriate judicial authorities for prosecution over their roles in the extrajudicial killing.
Reaffirming the Force’s stance, the IGP stated that the Nigeria Police Force maintains zero tolerance for extrajudicial actions and abuse of power, stressing that no officer has the right to take life outside the provisions of the law.
He emphasized that any officer found violating this principle would face the full weight of disciplinary and legal consequences.
The Inspector-General also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, Mr. Mene Ogidi, assuring them that the matter would not be treated lightly and that justice would be served transparently to restore public confidence.
He urged members of the public to remain calm and law-abiding, while assuring citizens of the Force’s commitment to professionalism, discipline, and the protection of the rights and dignity of all Nigerians.
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