HURIWA urges Disu to stamp out corruption in force
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has denied reports that he ordered the dissolution of multiple tactical units operating across state commands nationwide. The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Anthony Placid, said in a statement that the information in circulation was inaccurate and misrepresented the actual views of the IGP.

He explained that the IGP’s directive was for 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.

Earlier reports had suggested that Disu directed the immediate dissolution of multiple tactical units operating across state commands nationwide and that all existing tactical teams at the command, area, and division levels, regardless of operational names, have been ordered dissolved with immediate effect.

But Placid said: “The 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.”

The statement continued, “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.”

Meanwhile, a pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has urged the newly appointed IGP, Disu, to focus more on curbing, eradicating, and punishing endemic corruption in all traces of deeply-rooted penchant for bribes by officers working directly under his office in Abuja or in one of the specialised crime-fighting units in the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the association alleged that the immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, did little to address corruption in the police force.

HURIWA alleged that the police under Egbetokun even charged complainants for filing their complaints at police stations, while virtually 85 per cent of police stations are not equipped with functional crime-fighting vehicles. It added that victims of crimes are even openly told to fuel the few dysfunctional and rickety vehicles at police stations across Nigeria.