The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has paid glowing tribute to the immediate past Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, describing his tenure as one defined by visionary leadership, professionalism, and transformative reforms within the Nigeria Police Force.
Speaking on Thursday at a Pulling-Out Ceremony held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Disu said Egbetokun assumed office at a time when policing, both globally and in Nigeria, was undergoing major transformation.
According to the police chief, the former IGP’s administration focused on building a professionally competent, service-driven, rule-of-law compliant, and people-friendly police force.
“His tenure was guided by a clear vision of strengthening operational efficiency, enhancing professionalism, improving personnel development, and deepening public trust in policing,” Disu said.
He noted that Egbetokun prioritised intelligence-driven policing, expanded training and capacity building for officers, and reinforced institutional values such as discipline, accountability, and service.
Disu also highlighted the former IGP’s leadership qualities, describing him as calm, intellectually deep, and strategically minded.
“His leadership style reflected calmness, intellectual depth and strategic foresight, qualities that helped guide the Nigeria Police Force through complex security challenges,” he added.
The ceremony marked the formal end of Egbetokun’s policing career spanning over three and a half decades, following his retirement on February 25, 2026.
Born on September 4, 1964, in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, Egbetokun joined the Nigeria Police Force in March 1990 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police.
Over the course of his career, he held several strategic operational and administrative positions across the country, including service as Chief Security Officer to the Governor of Lagos State when Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now President of Nigeria, was governor.
Disu revealed that their professional paths crossed during that period, noting that while Egbetokun served as Chief Security Officer, he served as Aide-de-Camp to the same governor.
“At that time, neither of us could have imagined that years later destiny would place him at the helm of the Nigeria Police Force as Inspector-General of Police, and that I would have the honour of succeeding him,” Disu said.
Throughout his career, Egbetokun served in various command and operational roles, including leading the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos, commanding Police Mobile Force operations, serving as Area Commander in Osogbo and Gusau, and contributing to police training as Commandant of the Police Training School in Ikeja and later Deputy Commandant of the Police College in Ikeja.
He also served as Commissioner of Police in several formations, including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit at Force Headquarters and the Kwara State Police Command, before rising to Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7 and later Deputy Inspector-General of Police overseeing the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
Disu said these experiences prepared Egbetokun for the responsibility of leading the Force when he was appointed the 22nd Inspector-General of Police in June 2023.
The IGP thanked the retired police chief for his years of dedicated service to the country and the Force.
“As he formally bows out of active service today, he does so with honour, dignity, and the admiration of his colleagues, as well as the gratitude of a nation he served faithfully,” Disu said.
He also wished the former police boss good health and success in his post-retirement life, noting that his legacy would continue to inspire officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
