Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Rilwan Disu has cancelled all leave for police personnel assigned to election security duties ahead of the 2027 general elections and ordered an immediate, intensified crackdown on bandits nationwide.
The directives were handed down on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during a livestreamed strategic conference with senior police managers held at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Peacekeeping Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Addressing Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs), and Commissioners of Police (CPs), Disu announced that the leave cancellation takes immediate effect and simultaneously restricted senior officers from travelling outside their respective commands without explicit clearance.
As part of a comprehensive operational framework to safeguard the upcoming polls, the police chief ordered all state commands to establish direct coordination with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the military, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
To ensure strict oversight throughout the electoral period, Disu mandated that every command submit daily situation reports to Force Headquarters, which will be collated by the DIG in charge of Operations for a direct morning briefing with the IGP.
Disu also issued a stern warning against political interference, reminding officers that the Nigeria Police Force remains a strictly non-partisan institution whose allegiance is solely to the Constitution and the Nigerian people.
He cautioned that the Force is not a tool for any politician, party, or vested interest, stressing that any officer caught colluding with political actors, facilitating thuggery, or compromising voters’ rights would face severe disciplinary action alone.
Turning to internal security, the IGP acknowledged ongoing violent threats in vulnerable communities and ordered the immediate deployment of additional personnel, mobility assets, and air support to states battling banditry.
He handed Commissioners of Police in affected commands a strict 72-hour ultimatum, expiring Saturday, November 14, 2026, to submit documented and verified banditry flashpoints, updated threat assessments, and operational requirements to Force Headquarters.
Declaring that the police would not rest while bandits operate, Disu instructed commands to deepen grassroots intelligence by integrating traditional rulers, village heads, hunters’ associations, and local vigilante groups into their security architecture so communities feel confident enough to expose criminals.
During the conference, whose proceedings and operational tallies were also disseminated through the office of the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, the IGP reviewed recent law enforcement milestones achieved since the previous strategic session.
Over the past month, intelligence-led operations across the country yielded the arrest of 218 suspected bandits and terrorists, 129 murder and culpable homicide suspects, 120 suspected cultists, 85 suspected armed robbers, and 59 suspected kidnappers.
Additionally, police operatives successfully rescued 95 kidnapped victims and recovered 306 assorted firearms, 630 rounds of ammunition, and 116 stolen vehicles.
Disu concluded the strategic session by paying tribute to gallant officers who lost their lives in the line of duty over the past month, charging senior commanders to return to their jurisdictions and earn public trust through visible, decisive action.
