Fresh details have emerged on the exit of former Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as sources within the presidency revealed that his resignation was not entirely voluntary.
Although the presidency announced that Mr Egbetokun stepped down for family reasons, insiders told Premium Times that President Bola Tinubu asked him to resign.
His exit was confirmed on 24 February, and shortly after, Olatunji Disu was named as the Acting Inspector General of Police.
According to the publication, one of the main reasons for his removal was his position on state policing. President Tinubu has been pushing for the creation of state police as part of efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
At a national dialogue on state policing in April 2024, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the president described state policing as a step that would allow security agencies to respond better to local needs.
Mr Egbetokun, however, reportedly opposed the idea during the same event. Represented by Ben Okolo, he argued that Nigeria was not ready for state-controlled police.
He warned that governors might misuse such a structure for political or personal interests and that it could threaten human rights.
Another reason linked to Mr Egbetokun’s removal was a directive issued by the president in November 2025 concerning police officers attached to VIPs.
President Tinubu had ordered that VIPs seeking security protection should instead request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
According to sources, the level of compliance with this directive was considered low, and many police officers were still assigned to VIPs.
A third factor was said to be the action taken by the International Press Institute Nigeria.
The organisation placed Mr Egbetokun on its Book of Infamy over cases involving harassment of journalists. Under his leadership, about 24 journalists reportedly faced arrest, detention, or summons by police officers, with few consequences for those responsible.
The group cited the continued use of the Cybercrimes Act against journalists and critics as part of its concerns.
According to Premium Times, the government was uneasy about the negative attention the issue generated.
Following Mr Egbetokun’s departure, President Tinubu on Wednesday formally decorated Olatunji Disu as the Acting Inspector General of Police on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a new leadership phase in the Nigeria Police Force.
