IG deploys DIGs to zones, orders crackdown on unregistered vehicles

The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approved the deployment of Deputy Inspectors General of Police to their respective geopolitical zones, effective June 15, 2026, in a move aimed at bringing leadership closer to the field and improving operational coordination nationwide.

Disu announced the measure on Tuesday at a conference with senior officers in Abuja, stating that the deployment is designed to strengthen supervision, enhance accountability, and provide strategic oversight of policing activities within each zone. He emphasised that the initiative is not ceremonial but intended to improve response mechanisms and ensure prompt attention to emergencies and priority threats.

The IG directed the deployed DIGs to work closely with Assistant Inspectors General and Commissioners of Police to ensure effective implementation of operational directives and measurable results.

He also ordered commissioners in neighbouring states to establish handshake patrols, noting that criminals do not respect state boundaries and often exploit jurisdictional gaps by committing crimes in one state and fleeing to another. He instructed coordinated patrols along shared entry and exit routes, open intelligence sharing, and joint responses where necessary.

Additionally, Disu ordered an immediate crackdown on vehicles operating without registration number plates across the country, saying the force will no longer tolerate acts of impunity.

He stated that every vehicle must display its approved registration number, and any vehicle found without plates or with obscured, concealed, or tampered registration numbers will be stopped, grounded, and subjected to legal process. He linked the practice to criminal activity, noting that criminals, kidnappers, and terrorists often exploit unregistered vehicles.

The IG directed all commissioners and tactical commanders to intensify enforcement with no preferential treatment.

Disu also highlighted recent police successes, including the arrest of eight suspected terrorists, 29 murder suspects, 65 armed robbery suspects, 55 kidnapping suspects, and 42 other criminal suspects. He added that operations led to the recovery of 843 rounds of ammunition and 28 stolen vehicles, while 88 kidnapped victims were rescued.