The drums are beating again in police barracks.
Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has ordered the full revival of the Police Mobile Force — MOPOL — dragging the unit out of years of neglect and sending it back to where it belongs: the frontlines against bandits, kidnappers and insurgents.
“The Fighting Arm Is Back”
For too long, MOPOL existed in name only. Ill-equipped, poorly trained, and sidelined, the force watched as armed groups exploited Nigeria’s porous borders and turned entire communities into hostages.
That, Disu says, ends now.
Speaking after a tour of Lagos barracks, the IG announced that mobile policemen, especially those in the Northeast, have returned to intensive training. They are being re-armed, re-tooled, and re-oriented for high-risk counter-insurgency duties.
Retired MOPOL officers are also returning to training camps voluntarily to drill the next generation.
“It shows that even in retirement, they still love the job and love Nigeria,” Disu said.
He described MOPOL as “the fighting arm of the police” — the squad originally built to crush insurgency. With the military already overstretched across more than 30 states, the IG believes a battle-ready MOPOL will tip the balance. He also backed Defence Minister Gen. Christopher Musa’s call to fence borders and deploy aerial surveillance to cut off criminal supply lines.
Welfare First, Morale Next
Nicknamed “The Welfare IG,” Disu says no officer can fight effectively on an empty stomach and broken spirit.
He recalled his days as a DPO, buying his own chairs and using a personal computer as a TV.
“If I was not comfortable as a DPO, imagine what officers of other ranks go through,” he said.
Plans are underway for new barracks, affordable housing, and fresh uniforms. A completed review of police salaries is awaiting presidential approval. For Disu, fixing welfare is fixing security.
Zero Tolerance, Inside And Out
The IG warned that impunity will not be tolerated — not from officers, not from citizens.
Erring policemen have been arrested and publicly sanctioned. The Complaint Response Unit is handling misconduct cases daily. On the streets, those who drive against traffic or break the law will face the full weight of the law.
He also declared jungle justice “murder,” vowing to charge anyone who kills, incites, or films mob attacks without intervening.
To aid investigations, police are building a central biometric crime database for sharing with other agencies. Telecom companies are being pressured to kill pre-registered SIM cards used by kidnappers.
“The community is the police, and the police are the community,” Disu said. “The life you save today may be your own.”
