Nigeria Police Restructure Tactical Units Nationwide, Deny Blanket Disbandment Order

Under the new structure, tactical teams at Zonal and State commands are to be reduced to a maximum of five.

The Nigeria Police Force has announced a nationwide restructuring of its tactical units, clarifying that the move is aimed at improving efficiency and accountability.

The clarification came after Sahara Reporters reported that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, had disbanded all police squads and units at state command levels.

However, in a statement issued late Sunday, police spokesperson Anthony Placid said the IGP only approved a restructuring framework to streamline operations and address public concerns about police conduct.

According to the statement, the reform is driven by growing criticism over the proliferation of tactical teams across commands, many of which were created by commissioners of police and heads of formations without adequate oversight.

While reaffirming the importance of tactical units in crime-fighting, Mr Placid said the IGP noted that their excessive numbers have weakened police divisions and posts, while also increasing cases of misconduct linked to poor supervision.

"Having held command positions nationwide and witnessed tactical teams in action, the IGP values their contribution to crime-fighting," the statement read. "He is, however, uncomfortable with their proliferation, which drains Police Divisions and Posts of required manpower and brings issues that affect the Force's integrity because of the excesses of the poorly supervised teams."

Under the new structure, tactical teams at Zonal and State commands are to be reduced to a maximum of five, while Area Commands and Divisions will maintain no more than three. The police said this may be implemented through the merging or disbandment of existing units at the discretion of commanders.

The police also clarified that the restructuring does not affect state-backed security outfits such as Lagos State's Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Oyo State's Special Response Squad, and Bayelsa State's Operation DOO-AKPOR.

Mr Placid said the police leadership expressed optimism that the move would release more officers to frontline policing duties at police stations, thereby addressing complaints of excesses associated with tactical units.

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