There is growing unease within the Nigeria Police Force following a directive by Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu mandating the immediate disbandment of several tactical units operating across commands nationwide.
Affected units reportedly include Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Anti-Cultism, Anti-Kidnapping, Scorpion Squad, Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Monitoring Units, Tiger Squad, Gender Units, Anti-Robbery squads, among others.
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The order was conveyed through an internal wireless message after a recent virtual meeting between the IGP and senior police officers.
According to the message, all tactical formations at command, area command, and divisional levels—regardless of their operational designations—are to cease operations immediately.
“Following the IGP’s directives at the just concluded Zoom meeting with Commissioners of Police and above, all existing tactical teams at commands are being reformed into two, with operational names to be provided by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations,” the message read in part.
The communication further clarified that units such as “Lion, Tiger, Scorpion squads and others by whatever names called” are no longer permitted to operate in their present structure.
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Under the interim arrangement, only area commands and divisional surveillance units will continue to function pending further directives.
Personnel from the affected units are to be reassigned into conventional policing roles, including patrol and guard duties, the Divisional Crime Branch (DCB), Juvenile and Women Centre (JWC), and general beat assignments.
“The dissolved teams are to be subsumed into patrol and guard, DCB, JWC and beat with immediate effect,” the directive added.
The police leadership indicated that additional details on the restructuring will be presented at the end-of-month Officers’ Conference scheduled for March 26, 2026.
Although no official reason was provided for the sweeping changes, the development comes amid longstanding public criticism of some tactical units, which have faced allegations of human rights violations, extortion, and extrajudicial activities.
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The move also follows a recent directive by the IGP ordering a special resit promotion examination and interactive session for senior officers reportedly overlooked in earlier promotion cycles.
A confidential police wireless message dated March 16, 2026, shows that the Police Service Commission (PSC) has rescheduled the exercise for Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), Chief Superintendents of Police (CSPs), and Superintendents of Police (SPs) who were “not successful” in the December 2025 and March 2026 promotion cycles.