The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered a major nationwide redeployment of senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force, alongside the mobilisation of over 700 personnel to the Counter-Terrorism Unit, CTU, as part of efforts to strengthen internal security operations.
The redeployment, which affects dozens of Assistant Commissioners of Police, ACPs, and Superintendents of Police, SUPOLs, was conveyed in a wireless message issued by the Force Security Department at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. It takes effect from January 1, 2026.
According to the signal, the reshuffle cuts across officers serving in state and area commands, Mobile Police Force, MOPOL, units and specialised formations nationwide. Strategic departments affected include Operations, Intelligence, Interpol, Anti-Human Trafficking, Marine, Disaster Management, Research and Development, Finance and Accounts, as well as tactical units such as Bomb Disposal, K-9, Mounted Police, Airport and Railway Commands.
Several MOPOL squadrons also received new Commanding Officers, with postings to Akure, Ado-Ekiti, Minna, Ibadan, Uyo, Lafia, Abeokuta, Makurdi and other locations. Critical Area Commander vacancies were equally filled in states including Borno, Kano, Katsina, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Gombe, Ebonyi, Abia, Ogun, Cross River, Taraba, Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory.
In addition, numerous officers were posted to the Force Headquarters, zonal formations, X-Squad, State and Zonal Criminal Investigation Departments, professional training institutions and other administrative units. The IGP directed that all postings take immediate effect, warning officers assigned higher responsibilities not to wear ranks beyond their substantive positions until formally promoted.
Meanwhile, the IGP has also approved the mobilisation of over 700 police officers drawn from the 36 state commands, the FCT and the Police Mobile Force to the CTU. The approval was conveyed in an internal signal dated December 18, 2025, issued by the Department of Finance and Administration, Force Headquarters.
The document showed that the FCT Command recorded the highest number with 121 officers, while Borno contributed 34, Niger 36, Gombe 43, Benue and Nasarawa 26 each, and Kogi 24. Other states affected include Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kano, Taraba, Oyo, Plateau, Kwara, Rivers, Jigawa, Kaduna, Abia, Zamfara, Imo, Bayelsa, Ogun, Adamawa, Ekiti, Anambra, Katsina, Osun, Ondo, Sokoto, Delta, Kebbi, Edo, Lagos and Enugu.
Officers were also drawn from zonal formations, including Zones 1, 3, 4, 9, 12 and 13. The signal, signed by CP Usman K. Jibrin, Commissioner of Police (Welfare), directed commands to warn and release affected officers promptly.
Security analysts said the redeployment and mobilisation underscored renewed efforts by the police leadership to improve command efficiency and strengthen counter-terrorism capacity amid rising security challenges nationwide.
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