Nigeria’s policing leadership is set for a major transition following the reported resignation of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, at the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
Presidency sources disclosed on Tuesday that Egbetokun stepped down after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday. The development signals an abrupt end to his tenure, which had been expected to run until 2027.
According to the source, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, currently in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Annex in Lagos, is being considered as his replacement. An official announcement is anticipated in the coming days.
Egbetokun was appointed as the 22nd indigenous Inspector-General of Police on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu, with the Police Council confirming his substantive appointment on October 31, 2023. At the time of his appointment, he was 58 years old.
Although he was originally due for retirement on September 4, 2024, upon attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60, a legislative amendment by the National Assembly allowed him to complete a full four-year tenure unless removed by the President.
With his unexpected exit, attention now shifts to the incoming leadership and the implications for ongoing security reforms and policing strategy across the country.
