Policing Nigeria with Public Relations: Tunji Disu’s Catalytic Approach
In any modern society or nation, policing and law enforcement are generally difficult, at times, cumbersome and multifaceted, due to the multiplicity and complexity in the nature of such society. This is particularly applicable to our dear nation, Nigeria. The Nigerian society is complex in its demographic, geographic, religious, ethnic, and linguistic composition.
To police such a complex society, it is crystal clear and reasonable that one adopts multi-track diplomacy, strategies and leadership styles to succeed and effectively provide security for the people and the general public.
As a Public Relations Practitioner, and law enforcer, I have been professionally, passionately, and visionarily assessing the leadership styles of the present Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, in policing Nigeria. Whether in accessibility, humility, philanthropism, generosity, service to humanity, faith or the promotion of discipline. It amazes me when I see IGP Rilwan Disu, the hardcore cop I, and many fondly call “Omo Baba Elepo”, relating with people to achieve the goal of effectively policing Nigeria, which rests, most importantly, on public relations principles. Very commendable and adorable.
Like me, I am sure many have noticed that Olatunji Disu’s personality speaks Public Relations. His action, engagements, interactions, freedom, accessibility to all and sundry and public speeches are driven by PR ideas and concepts. The joy in the present-day policing in Nigeria I have noticed under his leadership is that when IGP Disu appears, speaks and engages, his publics and/or audience feel the comfort, succour and relief, even when in pains. This is public relations at its peak.
Emphatically, since assuming office as Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc (+), NPM, has projected a policing philosophy that places public confidence, strategic communication and community partnership alongside operational effectiveness. His approach suggests an important paradigm shift in emphasis – that policing Nigeria effectively requires not only the capacity to confront and combat crime, but also the ability to communicate, engage and build trust with the people.
Appointed Acting Inspector-General on February 24, 2026, and subsequently ratified as substantive IGP by the Nigeria Police Council on Monday, 2nd March, 2026, IGP Disu assumed leadership of the Nigeria Police Force at a critical period, with the expectation of strengthening security while rebuilding confidence in the institution.
At the centre of his emerging philosophy is the understanding that public relations is not merely about managing the image of the Police Force; it is an essential instrument of modern policing.
In modern policing, effective communication has emerged as one of the most effective tools for ensuring a workable Police-Public partnership. One of the clearest expressions of this came in July 2026, when IGP Disu convened a strategic communication and media-relations workshop for Commissioners of Police nationwide. He charged senior officers to be proactive in the media, engage journalists as partners, respond promptly to unfolding situations and build relationships with the public before crises occur. His message was particularly striking: “Guns protect lives, but your voices protect our reputation.”
That statement captures the broader thinking behind his PR drive. The police officer’s responsibility does not end with enforcing the law. In an information-driven society, explaining police actions, correcting misinformation and listening to citizens are equally important components of effective policing.
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Beyond effective communication, IGP Disu’s approach also places considerable emphasis on community policing. He recently directed all Commissioners of Police to hold regular town-hall meetings with traditional rulers, religious leaders and community groups, while making their contact details accessible to community stakeholders. This is significant because policing is most effective when the public sees the police as partners rather than distant authorities. Accessibility promotes and accords recognition, sense of belonging, and relevance and commitment to stakeholders in Policing.
Communities possess vital information about criminal activities and emerging tensions. Building trust therefore becomes an operational advantage. When citizens believe that the police will listen, protect their rights and respond responsibly, they are more likely to cooperate, share information and get involved in policing strategies in their immediate (local) areas.
Since assuming office, IGP Disu has repeatedly articulated a vision of policing that is people-centred, professional and accountable. In an engagement with civil-society organizations, he reaffirmed his commitment to human-rights compliance, transparency and accountability, while highlighting reforms to complaint response mechanisms and police training.
His perspective is important because a people-friendly police institution cannot be created through publicity alone. It must be experienced by citizens in their daily encounters with police officers.
Respect for human dignity, professionalism at police stations, responsible use of authority, accessibility of officers and credible complaint mechanisms are therefore as important to police reputation as press conferences and media statements.
Another feature of the IGP’s approach is the movement from reactive to preventive policing. His administration has promoted community sensitization through new initiatives and reactivating already existing but dormant platforms such as the nationwide Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), which engages schools, communities, religious organizations and other stakeholders in preventing youth involvement in crimes, criminality, and social vices.
This represents public relations in its broader sense: reaching society before a crisis occurs.
It is an understanding that the police can protect society not only by arresting offenders, but also by educating communities, engaging young people, strengthening partnerships and preventing criminality from taking root.
What makes IGP Disu’s catalytic approach noteworthy is the attempt to make communication part of the architecture of policing rather than an afterthought.
His emphasis on strategic communication, community engagement, accountability, human-rights compliance and proactive policing points towards a simple proposition: the legitimacy of the police is strengthened when the people understand the institution, can communicate with it and have confidence in its conduct.
Ultimately, the greatest public-relations officer in the Nigeria Police Force is not necessarily the officer behind a microphone. It is the officer who treats a citizen with dignity, responds professionally, protects the vulnerable and performs his duties with integrity.
That is where IGP Disu’s catalytic approach faces its most important test.
If the philosophy of communication and people-centred policing is consistently translated from Force Headquarters to Commands, Divisions and the streets, it will help narrow the longstanding distance between the Nigerian Police and the citizens.
For IGP Olatunji Disu, therefore, policing with public relations principles is not simply about projecting a better image of the Police Force or rolling out achievements or parading suspects and exhibits recovered before the media. It is about creating the conditions in which a better and symbiotic relationship between the police and the Nigerian people can emerge.
And in a country where public trust remains one of the most valuable assets in the fight against crime, that may prove to be one of the most consequential aspects of his leadership.
Generally, in my view, the IGP’s leadership styles which rests on PR will definitely effect positive changes and hasten the reform we all yearn for in the Police and the country at large.
Best wishes to the IGP, Rilwan Disu, Omo Baba Elepo, the Black Belter.
Ire oo.
Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Member, International Public Relations Association, and Public Relations Practitioner, Oluyole Estate, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
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