IGP Olatunji Disu Boosts Mobile Police Readiness to Counter Banditry, Insurgency

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has reaffirmed his confidence in the Mobile Police Force’s capacity to curb insurgency and banditry nationwide, describing the unit as the federal government’s frontline response to escalating security threats.

Speaking Saturday at the opening of a trainers’ course at the Police Mobile Force Training College, Ende Hills in Nasarawa State, Disu stressed that the Mobile Police’s operational readiness would determine the success of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to restore peace and quell banditry. “Everybody is going out to do that,” he told the assembled officers, “but I know the biggest success for this can only come from us—from us! Because you, Mobile Police officers, you are trained on how to combat insurgency. You have that ability; you have that training.”

The Inspector-General said Nigeria’s entire security architecture depends on the Mobile Police being fully prepared, warning that insurgency would persist until the force is operationally robust. He noted that the recent expansion of the Mobile Police to 84 squadrons nationwide reflects efforts to meet growing security challenges, including terrorism, armed criminality, communal violence and attacks on critical infrastructure.

Disu described the current security environment as fluid, sophisticated and unpredictable, requiring a Mobile Force that combines physical courage with tactical intelligence, speed with precision, and firepower with discipline and respect for human rights. “The quality of training will determine the quality of personnel and, ultimately, the success of the fight against insurgency,” he said, urging trainers to return to their states and raise the standard of officers on the ground.

AIG Francis Idu, who oversees the Police Mobile Force, said the ongoing retraining follows months of clearance operations across red zones, including in Edo and Lagos, where he said sanity has been restored. He noted that operatives deployed since March for stability patrols have been recalled to refocus on counter-insurgency tactics, fighting patrols and after-action reviews from field encounters. “Apart from the Orlu–Oko–Ihiala–Ihizougu axis in the South-East, other areas are now clear,” Idu reported, adding that operations will continue with momentum building from the retraining to subdue remaining flashpoints.

Commandant Sunday Peter of the Police Mobile Force Training College said the first phase of the trainers’ course includes 450 of 750 identified instructors, with the second phase to follow. He thanked the Inspector-General for mobilising resources, calling the exercise critical to reactivating the fighting unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Disu assured that force leadership will prioritise training, modernisation and welfare, while expecting commitment, discipline and results from Mobile Police personnel.

#PoliceMobileForce #NigeriaSecurity #InspectorGeneralDisu #BolaTinubu #PoliceTraining #CounterInsurgency #Banditry #NasarawaState