Tunji Disu: Police’s ‘Good Guy’ is New IG
Chiemelie Ezeobi
In a policing environment often defined by fear, excess force and public mistrust, the idea of a “good guy” in uniform can sound almost subversive.
Yet for many Nigerians, that is precisely the reputation the just decorated Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu carries as a senior officer whose authority has been exercised with restraint, whose operations have delivered results without spectacle, and whose career has shown that firmness and humanity need not be opposites.
His operations have delivered results without spectacle, and his career has shown that firmness and humanity need not be opposites.
As he assumes leadership of the Nigeria Police Force as the 23rd Inspector General of Police, Disu brings with him a record that has long tested and largely validated the possibility of policing with a humane face.
For many officers, who have served under him and citizens,who have encountered his style of policing, he embodies a rare balance in Nigeria’s security landscape: discipline without arrogance, power without intimidation, and leadership without theatrical command. Yet, efficient at his various postings.
His emergence as Nigeria’s top police officer is not the product of spectacle or political theatre. Rather, it is the culmination of decades spent in the trenches of operational policing, intelligence leadership and institutional reform, guided by a simple but demanding principled policing must ultimately serve the people.
Foundation and Early Years
A native of Lagos State, Disu joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992. His academic background laid a strong intellectual foundation for his career.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Lagos State University, advanced degrees in Public Administration and Criminology, Security and Legal Psychology, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Forensic Investigation.
This blend of language, psychology and criminology would later shape his methodical and human-centred approach to law enforcement.
His early career saw him serve as Divisional Police Officer in Ago Iwoye, Ikare, Owo, Surulere and Ikoyi. These frontline postings exposed him to the pulse of community policing and the daily interaction between citizens and the state’s coercive power.
He later served in Rivers State as DPO in Elimbu and Elelenwo, and as second-in-command of the State Criminal Investigation Department, sharpening his investigative instincts and crisis-response skills.
RRS and the Birth of ‘The Good Guys’
Disu’s national profile rose significantly during his tenure as Commander of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad between 2015 and 2021. At a time when public trust in the police was eroding, he reimagined the RRS as a disciplined, intelligence-led unit focused on speed, professionalism and restraint.
Modern patrol vehicles, tactical motorcycles, structured training and transparent incident reporting became standard.
Disu encouraged public engagement through social media and open feedback, demystifying police operations and humanising officers. Under his leadership, street crime declined noticeably across Lagos, particularly in notorious corridors such as Ajah, Lekki and the mainland.
It was during this period that the RRS earned the sobriquet “The Good Guys” — an uncommon public endorsement in a policing culture often associated with fear. For Disu, the nickname reflected something deeper: that effective policing needs not be cruel to be respected.
Rebuilding Post-SARS and Intelligence Leadership
Following the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and the credibility crisis that engulfed the police, Disu was appointed to lead the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team. The assignment came with intense public scrutiny and institutional pressure.
Disu responded with quiet but firm reform. Rogue elements were removed, operations were restructured around intelligence gathering and due process, and collaboration with other security agencies was strengthened.
Under his leadership, the IRT dismantled kidnap networks operating across the Abuja–Kaduna–Zamfara axis, rescued hostages from forest enclaves and intercepted arms trafficking routes along the Kogi–Benue corridor.
High-profile cases, including stalled investigations linked to the Bala Hamisu (Wadume) syndicate, were revived and pursued with renewed focus on justice rather than inter-agency rivalry. These operations restored a measure of confidence in a unit many had written off.
Landmark Arrests
AIG Disu’s career has been defined by high-stakes operations that combined intelligence, strategy and discipline. During his tenure as RRS Commander in Lagos, he led the arrest of the notorious Ajah robbery gang in 2016.
The gang, responsible for multiple killings and bank heists, had eluded capture for over six months until Disu’s team traced their hideout through telecom and CCTV forensics. All principal members were arrested, and weapons and getaway vehicles recovered, restoring public confidence in Lagos’ crime hotspots.
Between 2017 and 2018, Disu foiled several attempted bank robberies and bullion van attacks along the Lekki–Ajah corridor. In one case, operatives intercepted a gang attempting to tunnel into a bank from an abandoned building. Rapid-response patrols, plainclothes surveillance and drone monitoring were instrumental in these successes.
In 2019, his RRS team arrested the serial ritual killer “Ifayemi The Herbalist” after discovering dismembered remains of children near his shrine. The operation, praised by civil society, showcased Disu’s reliance on forensic-led investigations.
As head of the IGP Intelligence Response Team, Disu spearheaded operations against kidnappers and armed bandits nationwide. He oversaw the rescue of a kidnapped Abuja businesswoman and her driver in 2022, neutralising two suspects and recovering the victims without ransom.
Between 2022 and 2023, his team dismantled multiple Abuja–Kaduna–Zamfara kidnap syndicates, arrested top bandit commanders including Mudi Auta, and intercepted arms traffickers along the Kogi–Benue corridor, seizing over 60 rifles.
Disu’s strategic approach also extended to cult violence in Lagos Mainland, where over 120 cult members were arrested between 2017 and 2020. Through youth reintegration programmes and community collaboration, he sought not only to arrest offenders but to address the root causes of crime.
Discipline, Fitness and Use of Force
Beyond strategy and operations, Disu’s leadership philosophy places strong emphasis on discipline and restraint. A black belt holder in Karate and international competitor, he believes physical conditioning enhances mental control and reduces reckless use of force.
Throughout his career, he has promoted structured fitness programmes within police units, arguing that a disciplined body supports a disciplined mind.
His approach to the use of force is rooted in legality and necessity, a stance that has earned him respect from civil society organisations and human rights advocates, even within a system frequently criticised for excesses.
The Man and the Mandate
Despite his achievements, Disu maintains a low public profile. He is widely described as approachable, media-friendly and averse to flamboyance. He speaks often about the need for internal cleansing within the police and the importance of officer welfare as a foundation for reform.
His active engagement with the public, including through digital platforms, has further set him apart from many senior officers. Now as Inspector-General of Police, expectations are high.
Analysts and security experts see in Disu a steady hand at a time when Nigeria faces evolving internal security threats. His career suggests a leader inclined towards intelligence-led policing, institutional accountability and citizen trust, all qualities increasingly demanded in modern law enforcement.
A Humane Face of Power
Disu’s rise to the top of Nigerian policing signals more than a change of guard. It represents the possibility that authority can be exercised with humanity, and that reform needs not be loud to be effective.
For a force in need of credibility and confidence, the man once called “The Good Guy” now carries the burden and the opportunity of shaping policing in Nigeria’s most consequential moment.
