Hushpuppi: Tunji Disu takes over as IRT head

Usman Baba, the  Inspector-General of Police, has appointed a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, as the new Head of the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

The Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba, announced Disu’s appointment in a statement on Monday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, saying it was with immediate effect.

Disu, a former Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Lagos State, replaces Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari who is presently on suspension.

Kyari is being investigated following his indictment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over his alleged relationship with the far famed fraudster Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi.

Mba explained that Disu’s appointment would fill the leadership gap within the IRT and refocus the Unit for better service delivery.

“The IGP has charged the new Head of the IRT to demonstrate his professional competence in his leadership of the Unit,” the statement said.

Prior to his appointment as the new head of the IRT, Disu served as the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Department of Operations at the Force Headquarters.

He had also previously served as the Deputy Head of the State CID in Rivers, as well as Commander of the Nigeria Police Contingent to the African Union (AU) Peace Keeping Mission in Dafur, Sudan.

Disu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the Lagos State University (LASU) and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State.

He has also attended several professional courses both at home and abroad – small arms smuggling training in Botswana; internet fraud training at the Cambridge University, UK; strategic leadership command course at the Police Staff College, Jos; forensic investigations and criminal intelligence course at the University of Lagos, among others.

The new head of the IRT is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, and Chattered Institute of Personnel management, amongst other professional bodies.