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Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Rilwanu Disu’s appointment of DCP Anthony Okon Placid as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) has signaled a strategic effort to reengineer and “re-standardize” the Nigeria Police Force.
The appointment of DCP Anthony Okon Placid as the new Force Public Relations Officer marks a deliberate structural alignment designed to harmonize the Nigeria Police Force with international best practices and sister agencies like the Nigerian Army, where senior officers traditionally lead strategic communications.
By prioritizing experience and expertise, this transition signifies a corrective return to institutional precedent, moving away from recent rank-to-office deviations to restore professional hierarchy.
Historical records of the Nigeria Police Force reveal a consistent institutional preference for high-ranking officers to lead the Force Public Relations Department. Since the era of IGP Etim Inyang in 1983, the position of Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) has traditionally been reserved for officers holding the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP).
Over a span of decades—covering the leadership of 17 different Inspectors-General of Police, from Inyang to the last IGP Kayode Egbetokun—this precedent has remained largely unshaken.
In a move to restore institutional hierarchy, Inspector General of Police Olatunji Rilwanu Disu has realigned the Force Public Relations Department, ending a 14-year period of inconsistent rank-to-office appointments.
While the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) position is traditionally reserved for a Commissioner of Police, several administrations bypassed this protocol. This trend began under IGP Mohammed Dikko Abubakar (2012–2014), who appointed then-CSP Frank Mba. It continued during IGP Solomon Arase’s tenure (2015–2016) with the appointment of Ag. ACP Olabisi Kolawole.
Most recently, the administration of IGP Kayode Egbetokun (2023–2026) maintained this deviation by appointing CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi and later CSP Benjamin Hundeyin to the national spokesperson role.
By “re-standardizing” these appointments, IGP Disu aims to reengineer the Force’s communications wing, ensuring that the office is held by an officer of appropriate seniority to better serve both the institution and the public.
The strategic decision by IGP Tunji Disu to appoint a Commissioner of Police to the role of Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) represents a deliberate effort to institutionalize high-level expertise and seasoned leadership within the police’s primary communication wing.
By elevating the rank of the office’s occupant, the IGP aims to leverage the vast professional experience and commanding confidence that only a senior-ranking officer can provide, ensuring that the Force’s public messaging is handled with the requisite authority and strategic depth. This move also serves as a restoration of a significant historical precedent, returning to an era where the FPRO position was traditionally held by a CP, thereby reinforcing the department’s credibility and ensuring more effective liaison between the Nigeria Police Force and the global public.
In a major move to reform specialized departments, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu has turned his attention to the Police Monitoring Unit (PMU). This restructuring is intended to usher in a new era of institutional accountability and improved service delivery within the Force. As part of this overhaul: CP Akin Fakorede has been removed as the head of the unit with immediate effect. DCP Aliyu Mohammed has been appointed as his successor.
Observers have widely praised this appointment as a merit-based decision aimed at restoring the unit’s credibility and enhancing the public image of the Nigeria Police Force. This change follows IGP Disu’s recent confirmation and his pledge of zero tolerance for personnel misconduct.
Under the leadership of IGP Olatunji Disu, the Nigeria Police Force is undergoing a significant transformation defined by a “Nigeria-first” philosophy that prioritizes professionalism and merit over tribal sentiments. By strategically realigning top brass—notably through the appointment of high-caliber officers like DCP Anthony Okon Placid and the tactical reorganization of the IGP Monitoring Unit—Disu is actively dismantling the ethical challenges and stagnant protocols of the past. These moves signal a broader vision to build a fair and unified institution that mirrors international policing standards, effectively restoring public trust and ensuring that expertise, rather than background, dictates the future of national security.
