The Nigeria Police Force (NPF)n Thursday, 12 March, 2026 officially pulled a former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, out of service, marking the official end of his time in the NPF.
The former police chief was accompanied to the event held in Abuja on Thursday, 12 March, 2026 by his wife, Elizabeth Egbetokun.
Speaking at the ceremony, the former IGP said that serving as IGP remains one of the highest privileges of his life.
He said that under his leadership, the police expanded their operational capabilities.
The former police chief disclosed that the cybercrime section had been upgraded.
The former IGP also noted that the investigative capability of the police was further strengthened.
Egbetokun resigned as IGP in February 2026 and was replaced by Olatunji Disu, a former Assistant Inspector General of Police, who was appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
Egbetokun was appointed as IGP by President Tinubu in 2023.
Upon his appointment, he promised to “chase away” criminals in Nigeria.
“I will tell you that right now, I feel like a tiger inside of me, ready to chase away all the criminals in Nigeria. And some other time, I feel like a lion in me, ready to devour all the internal enemies of Nigeria,” he had said.
He replaced Usman Baba, who was appointed as the Inspector General of Police by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021.
Born in September 1964, Egbetokun, who hails from the Egbado South Local Government Area of Ogun State, enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force as a cadet ASP (Course 16) on March 3, 1990.
The latter part of his tenure was marked by controversy over his extended stay in office.
Under Section 18(8) of the Police Act 2020, Egbetokun, who was born on September 4, 1964, was expected to retire in September 2024 upon attaining the age of 60.
But his tenure was extended beyond the mandatory retirement limits of 60 years of age or 35 years of service, prompting criticism from civil society groups, among others.
Critics argued that the extension breached established police service regulations and weakened institutional discipline.
However, the police maintained at the time that the development did not amount to an extension but was a confirmation that he would complete the four-year tenure stated in his original letter of appointment.
In July 2024, the National Assembly passed the Police Act (Amendment) Bill to allow a person appointed as Inspector-General of Police to remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment.
In February 2026, President Bola Tinubu accepted the resignation of Egbetokun, following the submission of his letter citing “pressing family considerations”.
Following the resignation, Tinubu approved the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to serve as acting Inspector-General of Police with immediate effect.
The President swore Olatunji Disu in as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on March 4, at the Council Chamber of Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
