IGP Disu appoints DCP Abubakar new head of monitoring unit

The Nigeria Police Force has approved the posting of Deputy Commissioner of Police Aliyu Abubakar as the new head of the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The decision was contained in an official police wireless message dated March 3, 2026, which was sent from NIGPOL FORSEC Abuja to police formations and commands across the country.

The message stated that Abubakar, who holds the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police, has been assigned to lead the monitoring unit also referred to as the Police Mobile Unit at the Force Headquarters.

The order directed all relevant departments and commands within the police structure to update their official records in line with the new posting. The directive was marked for immediate action.

The posting forms part of changes carried out within the Force Headquarters to meet operational and administrative needs. The internal communication also confirmed another appointment within the police leadership structure. Anthony Okon Placid was assigned to serve as the new Force Public Relations Officer at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The development followed earlier changes within the police leadership where Assistant Commissioner of Police Benjamin Hundeyin was relieved of his duties as the Force Public Relations Officer. Hundeyin was replaced by Deputy Commissioner of Police Okon Placid as part of the reshuffling within the police command structure.

The new appointment for Abubakar also came after the removal of Akin Fakorede from his position as head of the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit in Abuja. Fakorede had been serving in the role since December 2024 after he was appointed by the former Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Sources within the police confirmed that Fakorede’s removal was ordered by the current Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu. His earlier appointment to the monitoring unit had attracted criticism from several human rights organisations due to allegations linked to his previous role as a commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Civil society groups had earlier raised concerns about claims of brutality, extrajudicial killings and election-related misconduct connected to Fakorede during his time with the disbanded SARS unit. According to these groups, his record raised questions about public trust in the police monitoring unit.

During his time in charge of the monitoring unit, Fakorede was also mentioned in disputes related to law enforcement activities. One of the issues involved a land dispute at River Park Estate in Abuja where he was accused of siding against Ghanaian investors during the conflict.

Reports also linked the monitoring unit under his command to an incident in January 2026 when journalists and workers protesting at the estate were reportedly attacked.

Public criticism of Fakorede had also come from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. In September 2025, Wike spoke about Fakorede’s previous role as a SARS commander in Rivers State and raised concerns about his conduct during that period, including alleged involvement in election-related matters.

The minister also referred to earlier reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission had written to the police to prevent Fakorede from taking part in election operations due to concerns about his past activities. Wike said he had discussed the matter with the former Inspector General of Police before Fakorede’s appointment to the monitoring team.

Apart from these issues, Fakorede was also linked to a police investigation involving Jesam Michael, the chief executive officer of Afriq Arbitrage System, a digital investment platform accused of running a large Ponzi scheme.

Reports from an investigation conducted in February 2025 suggested that some police officers were slow in acting against the suspect despite evidence of financial fraud involving thousands of investors.

Sources familiar with the investigation claimed that Fakorede repeatedly dismissed allegations against Michael and maintained that the businessman was innocent even as reports indicated that more than 56,000 investors were affected by the alleged scheme.

The investigation also revealed that about 590,000 financial transactions connected to the platform were under scrutiny and that about 1.6 billion dollars was traced to a digital wallet linked to the suspect.

The latest police postings therefore form part of the internal changes within the Nigeria Police Force as the leadership continues to reorganise key units at the Force Headquarters.

The directive requires all commands and departments to comply with the new postings and update their operational records accordingly.