BREAKING: IGP Disu Disbands All Police Units, Squads Nationwide

Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu has directed the outright dissolution of multiple specialised tactical squads operating across all police commands in the country.

The sweeping order, issued after a virtual meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers, affects units that have long handled high-risk operations.

NaijaChoice News reports that an internal wireless message, now circulating within the force, lists the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Anti-Cultism, Anti-Kidnapping, Scorpion Squad, Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Monitoring Units, Tiger Squad, Gender Units and Anti-Robbery squads among those to be scrapped with immediate effect.

All existing tactical teams at command, area command and divisional levels, no matter their name, must now wind down.

The message states that these units will be reformed into only two new structures. Operational names for the fresh teams will be announced by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations.

For now, only area command and divisional surveillance units are allowed to function temporarily.

Personnel from the dissolved squads are to be absorbed into conventional policing roles. They will handle patrol and guard duties, Divisional Crime Branch work, Juvenile and Women Centre assignments, and general beat operations.

“The dissolved teams are to be subsumed into patrol and guard, DCB, JWC and beat with immediate effect,” the directive reads.

Further guidelines on the restructuring will be released at the end-of-month Officers’ Conference fixed for March 26, 2026.

The move comes without an official explanation from the police hierarchy. However, it follows years of public complaints about alleged human rights abuses, extortion and unprofessional conduct by some of these units, especially in urban centres like Lagos where the RRS has faced repeated criticism.

NaijaChoice News notes that state commands have already begun compliance. In Abia, for instance, the Commissioner of Police announced the disbandment of all tactical teams at a recent meeting with area commanders and divisional officers.

This reform is part of broader changes under the new IGP. Just days earlier, Disu ordered a special resit promotion examination for senior officers allegedly sidelined by bribery schemes during the previous administration.

The exercise, scheduled for March 24, targets Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Chief Superintendents and Superintendents who failed earlier cycles in December 2025 and March 2026.

Security has been tightened for the promotion resit, with armed escorts and vehicles already arranged.

Many Nigerians hope the twin moves will restore public trust and improve everyday policing across the federation.