Nigeria’s inspector-general of police, Tunji Disu, has said his approach to law enforcement has been guided by a long-term vision formed during his earliest days in the force, as he sought to cast his leadership in strategic, rather than reactive, terms.
Speaking on Saturday at an interactive session with crime reporters in Lagos, Disu traced his policing philosophy to ideas he developed as a young officer, long before rising through the ranks to the top job.
“My approach to policing has always been guided by a long-term vision,” he said. “Even as a cadet, I had a picture of how I would act if I became commissioner of police — and even inspector-general.”
The police chief used the forum to reflect on his relationship with the media, acknowledging that he initially viewed journalists with caution when he was first posted to Lagos. That unease, he suggested, gave way to a more collaborative outlook after direct engagement.
“I was apprehensive about the media at first,” he said, recalling how he convened a meeting with reporters to better understand their role. “I learnt a lot from the media. I bonded with you.”
Disu said he went on to encourage officers under his command to cultivate professional and respectful ties with journalists, arguing that such relationships could strengthen public communication and accountability.
Revisiting his tenure as commander of the Rapid Response Squad, he acknowledged that his openness to media engagement drew criticism, including from within the police. Some colleagues, he said, dismissed his approach as performative.
“I came under a series of attacks, even by policemen,” he said. “Some said I was doing eye service, but I saw it as an opportunity to express my ideas of what policing should be.”
Despite the pushback, Disu maintained that engagement with the press formed part of a broader effort to redefine policing culture. He ended the session by thanking crime reporters for their role in security coverage and their continued scrutiny of the force.
