President Bola Tinubu has relieved Kayode Egbetokun of his duties as Inspector-General of Police in a significant restructuring of Nigeria’s security leadership.
Sources within the Presidency disclosed that Egbetokun was directed to step down during a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, February 23, 2026.
“Yes. Egbetokun is gone,” one presidential aide told journalists, noting that an official statement would be issued shortly.
According to senior government and police insiders, Assistant Inspector-General Tunji Disu is poised to assume the role of the new IGP. Disu currently heads the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Lagos and is reportedly the President’s preferred candidate for the position.
Egbetokun was appointed as Nigeria’s 22nd Inspector-General of Police on June 19, 2023, by President Tinubu. His tenure, however, faced heightened public scrutiny before his removal.
Efforts to reach the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, and Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga for comments were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.