IG deploys DIGs, orders crackdown on unregistered vehicles

Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered the deployment of Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) to their respective geopolitical zones, effective June 15, 2026. This strategic move aims to bring leadership closer to the field and enhance operational coordination across the country.

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In furtherance of our operational objective, I have approved the deployment of Deputy Inspectors General of Police to their respective geopolitical zones with effect from Monday, June 15, 2026.

During a conference with senior officers in Abuja, the IG emphasized that the deployment is not merely ceremonial. It is intended to strengthen supervision, improve response mechanisms, and ensure that critical threats receive prompt attention. The deployed DIGs are tasked with working closely with Assistant Inspectors General and Commissioners of Police to ensure effective implementation of operational directives and achieve measurable results.

In addition to the DIG deployment, IGP Disu mandated Commissioners of Police in neighboring states to establish "handshake patrols." He highlighted that criminals often exploit jurisdictional boundaries by fleeing to adjacent states after committing offenses. These coordinated patrols along shared routes, coupled with open intelligence sharing and joint responses, are designed to approach security from a regional perspective rather than a purely territorial one.

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This initiative is designed to strengthen supervision, improve operational coordination, enhance accountability and provide strategic oversight of policing activities within their zones.

Furthermore, the Inspector General ordered an immediate nationwide crackdown on vehicles operating without registration plates or with obscured numbers. Disu stated that the police force will no longer tolerate such acts of impunity, linking unregistered vehicles directly to criminal activities, including kidnapping and terrorism, as they facilitate evasion of detection. Commissioners and tactical commanders were directed to intensify enforcement without preferential treatment.

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This deployment is not ceremonial; it is intended to bring leadership closer to the field, improve response mechanisms and ensure that emergencies and priority threats receive prompt attention.

IGP Disu also reported successes in recent operations, noting the arrest of eight suspected terrorists, 29 murder suspects, 65 armed robbery suspects, 55 kidnapping suspects, and 42 other criminal suspects.

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Too often offenders exploit the jurisdictional gap by committing crimes in one state and escaping to another.