The Nigeria Police Force has once again changed the face of its public communications, naming Chief Superintendent of Police Iniedu Okokon as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO).
Okokon takes over from DCP Anthony Placid, who himself had occupied the seat for only a short stint after being handed the role in early March, days after Disu was confirmed as the force’s 23rd Inspector-General. That earlier reshuffle had ended the tenure of Ag. ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, who had served as spokesman since September 2025 under the previous IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
The police force has yet to issue an official statement detailing the reasons for the change, a silence that has fueled speculation within press circles that cover the Force.
Officers at the Force Headquarters in Abuja said Placid has been redeployed to take charge of the Finance and Administration unit of the Lagos State Police Command, a position left vacant by the death of DCP Khan Salihu, who passed away on June 15 after what police described as a brief illness.
Salihu’s death had dominated headlines for several days after unverified reports circulated online claiming he had been kidnapped before he died. Both the Lagos Command and Force Headquarters moved swiftly to dismiss the claims as false, insisting the deceased officer had merely complained of feeling unwell before being rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead on arrival.
The Force described the circulation of the kidnap claims as reckless and demanded a retraction from the outlets involved.
Placid’s posting to fill that now-vacant desk effectively closes out a tenure as FPRO that lasted roughly three months, unusually brief by the standards of recent occupants of the office, several of whom have held the position for a year or more.
Okokon is not a stranger to public-facing police work. Before his elevation, he headed the Force’s Complaint Response Unit (CRU), the internal accountability desk set up to receive and investigate citizen complaints of misconduct, extortion, and abuse by officers.
In that role, he became a recognizable name in Nigeria’s police-accountability conversations, signing off on internal probe reports, including one earlier this year into the alleged torture of an Enugu businessman by tactical squad operatives, and frequently engaging the public directly on social media over issues such as unlawful bail demands.
He has also represented the Force at human-rights engagements, including a town hall where he spoke on behalf of the Inspector-General about reforming internal oversight and curbing impunity within the rank and file.
His appointment suggests the Force may be leaning on an officer with a track record in public engagement and complaint handling, rather than a traditional press-and-operations background, as it tries to manage its image at a time of heightened scrutiny over officer conduct.
Notably, the reshuffle does not touch the Force’s newer digital communications arm. The Force New Media unit, created alongside Placid’s appointment in March, remains under CSP Aliyu (Ali) Giwa, a cybersecurity specialist who has built a visible presence responding to complaints and viral incidents on social media platforms, often redirecting them to the CRU for investigation.
Okokon is expected to resume FPRO duties with immediate effect, but the rapid sequence of changes to three spokesmen in roughly nine months, two of them under Disu alone, has raised questions among police-watchers about the stability of the Force’s communications leadership at a sensitive moment, with public trust in policing already under strain following a string of misconduct allegations across the country.
Police authorities are expected to issue a formal statement clarifying the circumstances of the latest change, including whether it reflects a strategic shift in how the force manages its public messaging or simply routine administrative reshuffling following Salihu’s death.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
This is less a routine reshuffle than a sign of instability at the top of the Nigeria Police’s communications office: three spokesmen in nine months, two changes under IGP Disu alone, with no official explanation given for either.
Okokon’s appointment brings in an accountability-focused officer (ex-CRU) rather than a traditional press hand, while Placid’s exit was effectively forced by Khan Salihu’s sudden death, not a planned transition.
