The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed reports claiming that Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, ordered the disbandment of all police units and tactical squads across state commands.
The force described the report as misleading, clarifying that no such sweeping directive was issued.
In a statement released on Sunday, force spokesperson Anthony Placid said the claim was a “misrepresentation” of the IGP’s actual instructions following a virtual meeting with senior officers. According to Placid, the IGP is aware of growing public concerns over the operations of tactical squads and the unchecked creation of multiple units by commissioners of police and heads of formations.
He explained that the proliferation of these teams has weakened police divisions by draining manpower needed for regular policing duties.
To address the issue, the IGP directed a controlled reduction—not a total disbandment—of tactical teams nationwide.
Under the new directive, zonal and state commands are limited to a maximum of five tactical teams, area commands and divisions are restricted to a maximum of three.
Placid said this restructuring may involve merging or disbanding some teams at the discretion of commanding officers.
He added that the directive does not affect security outfits established by state governments, including Lagos’ Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Oyo’s Special Response Squad (SRS), and Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR.
The police said the move is aimed at strengthening police stations, improving supervision, and addressing complaints about excesses by tactical units.
“The IGP expects this move to free personnel for police stations, reducing complaints about tactical team excesses,” the statement said.
The force also stressed that the reform aligns with the IGP’s commitment to accountability and building a more people-friendly police system.
