IGP Orders Nationwide Crackdown on Police WhatsApp Groups Over Security Leaks

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered an immediate nationwide crackdown on the use of WhatsApp and other social media platforms for official communication, following concerns over unauthorised disclosure and leakage of sensitive police information.

A police wireless message from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, obtained on Sunday, directed state commands and departments to urgently review and sanitise all official WhatsApp groups and other digital communication platforms used by personnel.

The directive, issued through the Police Wireless Message system, warned that the increasing use of WhatsApp and similar platforms for unofficial communication had resulted in serious breaches of the force’s information security protocols.

According to the signal sent to Assistant Inspectors-General, Commissioners of Police, and heads of various formations, the police leadership expressed strong displeasure over the gross abuse of WhatsApp platforms, noting that poor oversight and uncensored digital channels had led to repeated leaks of official information, posing a threat to operational security and internal discipline.

As part of the new directive, commands were ordered to immediately remove all retired, transferred, deceased, or dismissed personnel from any departmental WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms used for official communication. Such platforms must also be deactivated once their assigned operational purpose has been completed.

The signal further instructed formations to conduct regular and thorough vetting of members in any approved digital communication platforms, enforce strict monitoring and control of content shared, and restrict access strictly to authorised personnel.

The Force Public Relations Department was directed to immediately commence a comprehensive sensitisation programme for officers on the Nigeria Police Force Social Media Policy and cyber hygiene protocols.

The Police leadership warned that strict compliance is mandatory, and any officer found violating the directive or the Force Social Media Policy would face disciplinary sanctions.

The directive has been marked “very important,” signalling the urgency attached to its enforcement across the force.

The development comes amid growing concerns within the police hierarchy over internal information management, following recent incidents of leaked official documents and operational details appearing in the public domain.