REAL REASONS PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU HALTED MASS RETIREMENT OF SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS AS IGP TUNJI DISU ASSUMES OFFICE
By Emeka Amaefula
February 28, 2026
In a decisive move that has reshaped succession dynamics within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened to halt the planned compulsory retirement of about 30 senior officers following the appointment of AIG Olatunji “Tunji” Disu as Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on February 24, 2026.
Disu’s elevation came after the resignation of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun and immediately triggered internal expectations of a wave of retirements among senior Deputy Inspectors-General (DIGs) and Assistant Inspectors-General (AIGs). Historically, the appointment of a relatively junior officer as IGP has led to what is commonly referred to as “mass retirement” — an unofficial tradition designed to prevent “status reversal,” where senior officers serve under a former junior.
However, credible Presidency sources confirm that President Tinubu personally directed that the retirements be halted. The overriding consideration, according to insiders, was the need for continuity, stability, and preservation of institutional experience at a time when the police force is grappling with complex national security challenges and ongoing reform efforts. The Acting IGP, it was emphasized, requires the support and expertise of seasoned officers rather than a sudden depletion of leadership capacity.
Beyond strategic considerations, the President’s intervention aligns with a binding legal precedent that has fundamentally altered the landscape of compulsory retirements in the police hierarchy. In the landmark case of Moses Ambakina Jitoboh vs. Police Service Commission (Suit No: NICN/ABJ/274/2023), the National Industrial Court of Nigeria delivered a far-reaching judgment on January 13, 2025, through Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae.
The court declared the compulsory retirement of DIG Moses Ambakina Jitoboh unlawful, null, and void. Jitoboh had been forced out in August 2023 after the appointment of Egbetokun, despite not reaching the statutory retirement benchmarks. He was 54 at the time and had several years left before attaining either 60 years of age or completing 35 years of pensionable service.
In its ruling, the court held unequivocally that the Police Service Commission lacks the authority to retire officers outside the clear provisions of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 and the Public Service Rules. It further stated that the so-called police “tradition” of retiring seniors due to junior promotions has no legal foundation and cannot override statutory safeguards. The judgment reinstated Jitoboh as a serving DIG until June 10, 2029 — his 35-year service milestone — and awarded ₦50 million in general damages, ₦750,000 in costs, along with all withheld entitlements.
Although Jitoboh tragically passed away on December 28, 2024, just weeks before the judgment was delivered, the decision stands as a binding precedent. Legal analysts and civil society voices have described it as a watershed moment that firmly establishes that institutional customs cannot supersede the rule of law.
This ruling has direct implications for the current police hierarchy. Senior officers who might previously have faced compulsory retirement solely because a junior was appointed IGP now have solid legal grounds to challenge such action. Any attempt to enforce mass retirements risks swift judicial reversal, reinstatement orders, and substantial compensation liabilities.
Acting IGP Tunji Disu himself, born April 13, 1966, was approaching mandatory retirement in April 2026 on age grounds at the time of his appointment. However, the Police Act provides for a potential four-year tenure for an IGP, which may extend service beyond the standard retirement threshold, subject to legal interpretation and confirmation. That provision, however, does not diminish the statutory protections available to other senior officers.
The Nigeria Police Force has long operated under paramilitary conventions inherited from colonial and military eras, where hierarchical sensitivity often dictated abrupt exits for senior personnel upon leadership changes. While reforms since 1999 have focused on human rights, professionalism, and community policing, succession-related mass retirements persisted largely as an unwritten norm rather than a codified rule.
President Tinubu’s decision to halt the retirements, combined with the Jitoboh judgment, signals a decisive shift toward strict compliance with statutory law and institutional stability. It represents a departure from tradition-driven personnel management toward a framework grounded in legality, merit, and continuity.
In essence, the suspension of the proposed retirements stems from two powerful forces: strategic leadership prudence and an unambiguous judicial shield. Together, they mark a pivotal turning point in Nigeria Police Force governance, reinforcing that no administrative custom can override the clear limits imposed by law.
——-Emeka Amaefula ——-+234(0)8111813069—-
