Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed widespread reports claiming that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, ordered the disbandment of all tactical units across state commands, describing the narrative as misleading and inaccurate.
In an official clarification issued on Sunday by the Force spokesman, DCP Anthony Placid, the police said the viral reports misrepresented the directive of the IGP, which was aimed at restructuring—not dissolving—police tactical formations nationwide.
According to the statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Okon Placid, “This report is a misrepresentation of the IGP’s directives.”
The police leadership stressed that while concerns exist over the operations of tactical teams, there was no blanket order for their disbandment.
The statement explained that the IGP, described as “a grassroots officer with a profound network across Nigerian society,” recognises both the value and the challenges associated with tactical units.
It noted that although such teams play a crucial role in crime-fighting, their unchecked proliferation across commands has raised operational and ethical concerns.
“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,” the statement added.
To address the situation, the IGP has instead directed a controlled reduction in the number of tactical units. Under the new directive, Zonal and State Commands are to maintain a maximum of five tactical teams, while Area Commands and Divisions are limited to three. The police hierarchy has been given discretion to implement this through mergers or selective disbandment of units.
Importantly, the directive does not affect state-backed security outfits such as Lagos State’s Rapid Response Squad, Oyo State’s Special Response Squad, and Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR, among others.
The police leadership believes the restructuring will help reassign personnel to understaffed divisions and improve service delivery at the grassroots level. It is also expected to reduce public complaints linked to the excesses of some tactical teams.
Reaffirming his commitment to reforms, the IGP noted that the move aligns with his earlier pledge to promote accountability and build a more people-friendly police force. The statement emphasised that strengthening supervision and addressing systemic lapses remain key priorities under the current leadership.