Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu has ordered the immediate disbandment of all tactical units across the Nigeria Police Force, including the Special Weapons and Tactics team, in one of the most extensive structural changes in recent years.
The directive, communicated through an internal wireless message after a virtual meeting with senior officers, affects multiple formations such as the Rapid Response Squad, Anti-Kidnapping squads, Anti-Cultism units, Scorpion Squad, Tiger Squad, Tactical Intelligence Response Squad, Monitoring Units, Gender Units and Anti-Robbery teams. According to the communication, “all tactical teams operating at command, area command and divisional levels have been dissolved with immediate effect, regardless of their operational names.”
The disbanded units will be reorganised into two new formations, with their structure and operational names to be determined by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations. The message also made clear that units previously known by names such as Lion, Tiger and Scorpion squads are no longer permitted to operate in their existing form.
As an interim arrangement, only area commands and divisional surveillance units are allowed to continue limited operations pending further directives. Officers affected by the dissolution have been ordered to return to conventional policing roles, including patrol duties, guard assignments, Divisional Crime Branch, Juvenile and Women Centre and general beat responsibilities. “The dissolved teams are to be subsumed into patrol and guard, DCB, JWC and beat with immediate effect,” the directive stated.
The police leadership indicated that further details on the restructuring process will be announced during the Officers’ Conference scheduled for March 26, 2026.
The move comes days after IGP Disu established a specialised Violent Crime Response Unit in all states and the Federal Capital Territory, effective May 2, 2026, to tackle kidnapping, armed robbery, murder and cult-related violence. The new unit is described as an intelligence-driven strike force designed for rapid response while improving coordination among commands nationwide. “The unit is designed to serve as a specialised and rapid response force against violent crime nationwide,” a senior police official said.
In addition, the Police Mobile Force is to be refocused strictly on riot control and violent crime response, with personnel withdrawn from non-core duties such as VIP escort. The IGP also ordered the upgrade of police forensic laboratories and digital intelligence systems, including improvements to the national criminal database to support investigations with modern technology.
Disu warned officers attached to the new unit to operate strictly within the law, stressing the need for professionalism and respect for human rights at all times. The restructuring aligns with years of criticism over the conduct of tactical teams, which have frequently faced allegations ranging from abuse of power to unprofessional practices.
