•Egbetokun, Tinubu and Disu
President Bola Tinubu has removed Kayode Egbetokun from office as the Inspector-General of Police.
Presidential aides, who spoke in confidence, confirmed the development to our correspondents today.
Tinubu was said to have asked Egbetokun to step aside during a meeting they had at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, reports The PUNCH.
“Yes. Egbetokun is gone,” one of the presidential aides said he was asked to comment on the development.
“A formal statement is being prepared as we speak. The announcement will be made soon,” another aide said.
Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Force spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to him had not yet been responded to.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga also did not take his calls when contacted.
Sources within the police hierarchy hinted that a successor may have been identified, although no official statement had been issued as of the time of filing this report.
One source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Tunji Disu had been contacted in connection with the position.
“He has been contacted, but we are all waiting for the official confirmation, which should come later in the day,” the source said.
Egbetokun was appointed on June 19, 2023, by President Bola Tinubu.
In 2024, the IG’s continued stay in office sparked widespread controversy after Egbetokun officially reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 on September 4.
However, his stay in office was extended following the amendment to the Police Act.
Why Egbetokun resigned as IG – Presidency
The Presidency has confirmed the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun as the Inspector-General of Police.
It said the former police boss resigned from office, citing family issues that require his undivided attention.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a response to an inquiry by our correspondent, saying, “The IGP resigned in a letter today, citing family issues which require his undivided attention.”
However, multiple Presidency sources told our correspondent that Egbetokun was asked to step down during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday evening.
“It was in that meeting he was asked to go,” a highly placed official in the Presidency stated on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
Our correspondent observed the IGP’s official vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser with number plate NPF-01, parking at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa around 6:40 pm yesterday.
Egbetokun, dressed in his black uniform without his cap, alighted from the vehicle and turned back to ask for his notepad from an aide who briskly reached into the vehicle and handed it to him.
The IGP arrived at approximately the same time governors were arriving for an interfaith breaking of fast with the President, raising initial uncertainty about the purpose of his visit.
However, another source at the Villa confirmed that Egbetokun was specifically summoned that evening by the president.
“He was called in. It wasn’t a routine visit,” the source stated.
Security officials who confided in our correspondent said the IGP returned to the State House at about 8:00 pm as his vehicle was subjected to search by DSS operatives at the Villa.
Egbetokun, who was appointed IGP on June 19, 2023, has faced mounting criticism over the nation’s deteriorating security situation, particularly the wave of kidnappings, banditry, and terrorist attacks across multiple states.
Recent high-profile incidents include the abduction of nearly 300 schoolchildren from St. Mary’s boarding school in Niger State in November 2025, mass killings in Kwara State communities in February 2026, and persistent kidnappings along major highways.
The president, during yesterday’s Iftar with governors, had pledged that the establishment of state police to combat insecurity would not be postponed, declaring that “security is the foundation of prosperity.”
“Without it, farms cannot flourish, businesses cannot grow, and families cannot sleep in peace. We will establish state police to curb insecurity,” Tinubu had stated at the event.
Before his appointment as IGP, Egbetokun served as Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department.
He succeeded Usman Alkali Baba, whose tenure expired in September 2023 after an extension granted by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The IGP resigned in a letter today, citing family issues which require his undivided attention.
