By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The news of the resignation of Kayde Egbetokun as Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the appointment of Tunji Disu as acting IGP has been met with divergent reactions from Nigerians.
Following the news, Egbetokun and Disu became one of the trending news and dominated social media discussions on Tuesday, February 24.
While some celebrated Egbetokun’s resignation, others hailed Disu, citing his disposition to work and his achievements in previous capacities within the police force.
In his reaction on X (formerly Twitter), @OniIssa wrote, “Mr Tunji Disu is a straightforward and reliable person as a police inspector general of police. I met him in Nigeria Police headquarters in Abuja, a very calm man. May his tenure bring peace and unity to the society.”
@Oluwadaemilolae said, “First time I would be so happy to see news from the NPF. Congratulations to IGP Tunji Disu…..I so much respect his competence and work rate since he was appointed the head of RRS in Lagos State. Bad news to the bad boiz in NPF.”
@haby2610 tweeted, “Congratulations to Tunji Disu on his appointment as Nigeria’s new Inspector-General of Police! Disu has a strong background in operational, investigative, and strategic policing, with over three decades of experience. He’s known for his community-oriented approach, having implemented partnership-based and proactive problem-solving policing strategies during his tenure as RRS commander in Lagos.”
@BONGALOIFY tweeted, “Sowore don pursue ex IGP Egbetokun omot for work and also wom 30M for unnecessary harassment in the name of wanted man. When you serve 35 years in service, you should go and rest. It was obvious the job is tiring for him bco they refuse him to go and rest. Congrats to both of them.”
For others, the appointment of Disu, who is also from the same geopolitical zone as Egbetokun, is worrisome. They noted that President Bola Tinubu should have appointed Egbetokun’s replacement from another geopolitical zone other than the South West in the interest of fairness and balance.
@tunde_perr wrote, “Why must it be a Yoruba guy? The former IG was a Yoruba man and the new IG too. Which kind of padi padi govt be this?”
@Aladecho5 said, “Many people are excited over his appointment, so am I. But, I think someone from another region like NC of the country would have been a better choice.
“Also, appointing this man as the next IGP would raise eyebrows, considering his rapid promotion in the last 10 years. I think by law, he is expected to spend at least 3 years on each rank before being promoted. I doubt he spent at least 3 years at each level from ACP to AIG. This is the same issue Ribadu had when he was in NPF. OBJ was just promoting him every EKE day to make him the IGP.”
Recall that Egbetokun resigned on Tuesday, February 24, following a directive from President Tinubu.
Tinubu appointed Egbetokun as IGP on June 19, 2023, to replace Usman Baba. He was confirmed by the police council in October 2023.
He was expected to retire on September 4, 2024, upon reaching the mandatory age of 60, based on civil service rules and according to Section 7 of the Police Act 2020, which states that the person appointed to the office of the IGP shall hold the office for four years.
However, in July 2024, the National Assembly passed a bill to amend the Police Act 2020 to allow the IGP to remain in office “until the end of the term stipulated in his appointment letter.”
Based on the amended law, Egbetokun was expected to retire in 2027 after the expiration of his four-year tenure.
