The Nigeria Police Force has debunked reports claiming that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, ordered the outright disbandment of all police tactical units nationwide, describing the publication as a misrepresentation of his directive.
In a statement issued on March 22, 2026, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, clarified that the IGP did not dissolve all units but instead directed a structured reduction and reorganisation of tactical teams across commands.
“The attention of the Inspector-General of Police has been drawn to the above-captioned story recently circulated by some online media outlets. The publication stated that the Inspector-General of Police directed the immediate dissolution of multiple tactical units operating across state commands nationwide. This report is a misrepresentation of the IGP’s directives,” Placid stated.
He explained that the IGP, described as a grassroots officer with deep connections across Nigerian society, is aware of growing public concerns over the operations of police tactical teams, particularly the proliferation of such units by Commissioners of Police and heads of formations.
“Having held command positions nationwide and witnessed tactical teams in action, the IGP values their contribution to crime-fighting. He is however uncomfortable with their proliferation, which drains Police Divisions and Posts of required manpower and brings issues that affect the Force’s integrity because of the excesses of the poorly supervised teams,” he added.
According to the statement, the IGP has now directed that tactical teams at Zonal and State Command levels be reduced to a maximum of five, while those at Area Command and Divisional levels should not exceed three.
“To address these issues, the IGP directed the reduction of the tactical teams at Zonal and State Command levels to a maximum of five, and Area Command and Divisional levels to a maximum of three. This can be achieved by merging or disbanding teams, at the Heads of formations’ discretion,” Placid said.
He further clarified that the directive does not apply to state-backed security outfits such as Lagos’ Rapid Response Squad, Oyo’s SRS, Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR, and other similar formations across the country.
“The IGP expects this move to free personnel for Police Stations, reducing complaints about tactical team excesses,” he noted.
Reaffirming the IGP’s commitment to accountability and a people-friendly policing system, Placid stressed that the directive is aimed at strengthening supervision, boosting manpower at police stations, and addressing public concerns about misconduct.
“Having emphasized accountability and a people-friendly Force in his maiden address to Nigerians, the IGP took this step to enhance supervision of existing teams, strengthen Police Divisions, and remove causes of complaints against the Force by members of the public,” the statement concluded.
