RULAAC hails removal of IGP Egbetokun, urges new IGP Disu to drive reforms
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has described the removal of Kayode Egbetokun as Inspector-General of Police (IGP) as a “relief” to many Nigerians.
President Bola Tinubu reportedly directed Egbetokun to resign effective Monday, February 23, 2026, despite more than a year and a half remaining in his four-year tenure. He is to be succeeded by Assistant Inspector-General Olatunji (Tunji) Disu, currently heading the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Lagos.
In a public statement issued on February 24, 2026, and signed by Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC criticised Egbetokun’s extended tenure, enabled by a controversial amendment to the Police Act as a “troubling precedent” that undermined institutional integrity, damaged morale in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and deepened public distrust.
The group highlighted declining police welfare, weak accountability for misconduct, persistent allegations of human rights violations without credible redress, and an erosion of public confidence during his leadership. “His continued stay in office after attaining the statutory retirement age and years of service limits represented a troubling precedent,” the statement read.
RULAAC expressed cautious optimism about Disu’s appointment, citing his track record as Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Lagos, where he was commended for prompt responses to distress calls, a humane approach to policing, integrity, and a record notably free of brutality or extrajudicial killing allegations.
“Disu stood out for a policing model that combined firmness with restraint, operational effectiveness with compassion,” the statement noted.
However, the group warned that systemic challenges—high centralisation, political control, underfunding, and corruption—limit what any individual can achieve without structural reforms.
RULAAC outlined key tasks for the incoming IGP, which include; to restore morale through welfare improvements, addressing poor pay, inadequate equipment, delayed entitlements, and working conditions to reduce vulnerability to corruption and misconduct.
The CSO also urged the new IGP to confront impunity and enhance accountability, specifically, immediately publish the investigation report into alleged organ harvesting by RRS/Anti-Kidnapping Unit operatives in Awkuzu, Anambra State, which remains undisclosed despite prior assurances.
RULAAC also seeks the safeguard of electoral integrity ahead of 2027 by ensuring strict neutrality.
The organisation described the leadership change as a “moment of reckoning” and an opportunity for reset, pledging civil society support for genuine reforms while urging Disu to scale his past values at the national level.
“We wish him success. We pledge civil society support for genuine reform efforts. And we urge him to remain faithful to the professional standards and humane policing model for which he has earned commendation in the past,” Nwanguma stated.
