IGP Disu Orders Mandatory Name Tags for all Officers, Updates National Assembly on State Police Framework

The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has issued a sweeping directive ordering all police personnel nationwide to wear visible name tags on their uniforms at all times as part of renewed efforts to strengthen public accountability and transparency within the Nigeria Police Force.

The directive, announced on Tuesday during an emergency meeting with Commissioners of Police in Abuja, makes name tag display compulsory for all officers on regular duty, with only those engaged in undercover operations exempted from the requirement.

Speaking at the gathering of senior police commanders, Disu emphasized that proper identification is a basic professional standard that must be upheld across all commands. He noted that senior officers present at the meeting were already complying with the directive, setting the expectation that the same standard be enforced nationwide.

“All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard,” Disu said.

He further stressed that Commissioners of Police bear full responsibility for every incident occurring within their respective jurisdictions, warning that lapses in discipline or enforcement would not be tolerated.

“All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting. We have a list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police. We have told them earlier and we will still let them know that everything that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control,” the IGP added.

On the contentious issue of state police, Disu provided a significant update, revealing that the Nigeria Police Force has proactively developed and submitted its official position to the National Assembly.

“Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intends to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run,” Disu explained.

The IGP disclosed that the proposal was developed after extensive consultations and comparative analyses of policing models in other jurisdictions. A lot of factors were taken into consideration, including funding, command structure, oversight mechanisms, and potential conflicts with federal police.

“A lot of things were taken into consideration. A lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly,” he said.

The name tag directive, which observers have described as a small but powerful tool for accountability, is expected to make it easier for citizens to identify officers who abuse their authority or engage in misconduct. The IGP has indicated that enforcement mechanisms will be put in place to ensure compliance across all commands nationwide.