IGP Disu orders restructuring of Police Tactical Units, clarifies misreported disbandment

By Johnson Arua

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has clarified recent online reports claiming he ordered the outright disbandment of all police tactical units nationwide.

The Force emphasized that the reports misrepresented the IGP’s directives.
According to the Police Force, IGP Disu, a seasoned officer with extensive command experience, is fully aware of public concerns regarding the proliferation and operations of multiple tactical teams created by Commissioners of Police and Heads of Formations.

While recognizing the value of these units in crime-fighting, the IGP noted that their uncontrolled growth strains manpower at Police Divisions and Posts and sometimes leads to misconduct.

To address these challenges, the IGP has directed that the number of tactical teams at Zonal and State Command levels be reduced to a maximum of five, and at Area Command and Divisional levels to a maximum of three.

This reduction can be achieved through mergers or disbandments, at the discretion of formation heads.

The directive does not affect State Government-established outfits, including Lagos’ Rapid Response Squad, Oyo’s SRS, and Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR, among others.

The IGP’s move aims to strengthen supervision of existing units, enhance the effectiveness of Police Divisions, free up personnel for local policing, and reduce public complaints against the Force.

The clarification was issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, from Force Headquarters in Abuja.