IGP deploys DIGs to Geopolitical Zones, Orders Inter-State Joint Patrols
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has approved the deployment of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) to Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as part of a broad operational reform aimed at strengthening security coordination, improving supervision, and enhancing field-level responsiveness.
The deployment, which takes effect from Monday, 15 June 2026, was announced during the monthly conference of senior strategic officers of the Nigeria Police Force held at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
According to the directive, the redeployment of DIGs is intended to bring strategic leadership closer to operational theatres, improve accountability, and ensure more efficient implementation of policing strategies across the country. The senior officers are expected to work in close coordination with Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police within their respective zones to enhance command oversight and operational effectiveness.
In a related development, the Inspector-General also ordered all Commissioners of Police nationwide to immediately commence coordinated inter-state patrol operations under a new framework tagged “Handshake Patrols.”
The initiative is designed to improve collaboration between neighbouring state commands through joint operations, enhanced intelligence sharing, and synchronized responses to criminal activities that often span multiple jurisdictions.
The IGP noted that criminal elements frequently exploit administrative boundaries by committing offences in one state and fleeing to another, thereby complicating enforcement efforts. He therefore directed Commissioners of Police to strengthen cross-border coordination, conduct regular joint patrols along major entry and exit routes, and adopt a more unified regional policing strategy.
The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led policing, inter-agency cooperation, and strategic operational coordination as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national security and safeguard lives and property across the country.
By TimesNG