Police Debunk Report on Disbandment of Tactical Units Nationwide, Clarify IGP’s Directive

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed reports claiming that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, ordered the disbandment of all police units and squads at state commands, describing the publication as a misrepresentation of his directive.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, said the reports was a misrepresentation of the IGP’s directive.

According to the statement, the IGP, described as a grassroots officer with a broad network across Nigerian society, is aware of public concerns regarding the operations of police tactical teams, as well as the creation of multiple teams by Commissioners of Police and heads of formations, which have attracted backlash.

The statement explained that Disu, having held command positions across the country and witnessed tactical teams in action, recognises their contributions to crime-fighting but is concerned about their proliferation.

It clarified that to address these concerns, the IGP directed a reduction in the number of tactical teams.

The statement specified that tactical teams at the Zonal and State Command levels are to be reduced to a maximum of five, while those at the Area Command and Divisional levels are to be limited to a maximum of three.

It added that this directive can be implemented through the merging or disbandment of teams at the discretion of heads of formations.

The police further clarified that the directive does not apply to state government-created outfits such as Lagos State’s Rapid Response Squad, Oyo State’s Special Response Squad (SRS), and Bayelsa State’s Operation DOO-AKPOR, as well as similar outfits across the country.

The IGP, according to the statement, expects that the move will free up personnel for deployment to police stations, thereby reducing complaints about the excesses of tactical teams.

The statement also noted that, having emphasised accountability and a people-friendly police force in his maiden address to Nigerians, Disu took the step to enhance supervision of existing teams, strengthen police divisions, and address the root causes of public complaints against the Force.

The statement reads, “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, IGP Olatunji Disu, directed the immediate dissolution of multiple tactical units operating across state commands nationwide.

“This report is a misrepresentation of the IGP’s directives. The IGP, a grassroots officer with a profound network across Nigerian society, is aware of public concerns about police tactical teams’ operations and the creation of multiple teams by Commissioners of Police and Heads of formations, with attendant backlash.

“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.

“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. The teams referred to exclude State Government-created outfits like Lagos’ Rapid Response Squad, Oyo’s SRS, and Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR and other similar outfits across the country. The IGP expects this move to free personnel for Police Stations, reducing complaints about tactical team excesses.

“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.”

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