Last Monday’s recognition of CP Tunji Disu as the Commissioner of Police of the Year at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendation Ceremony held in Abuja is a testament to his tireless efforts to make the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) a global brand through a more humanistic policing approach, ODITA SUNDAY writes.

Despite the presence of dare-devils and bad elements in the police ecosystem, there are many patriotic, selfless, decent and progressive-minded officers and men whose penchant is to bequeath a Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that wears the garb of a decent global security outfit to the future generation.

They soar high in integrity metrics. Such officers abound in Louis Edet House and several police commands across the country and one of them is CP Tunji Disu, the current Commissioner of Police Rivers State Police Command, who was decorated with the Commissioner of Police of the Year Award at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Police Awards and Commendation Ceremony, held last Monday in Abuja.

Disu, who assumed office barely five months ago in Rivers State, unarguably occupies an enviable position in terms of record of achievements.  His predecessors, no doubt, laid a good foundation for him; but it is greatly to his credit that he built on the foundation.

Before he took over the Rivers State Police Command, policemen were killed like chicken by cult gangs that turned themselves into demigods. Few weeks after his resumption, he activated a manhunt for the kingpin who masterminded the killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the state. Days after, the Police Command confirmed the death of a notorious cult leader, Gift Okpara, also known as ‘2 Baba’, who was the prime suspect in the murder of the former DPO of Ahoada Division, Bako Angbashim, in September last year.

Angbashim was ambushed and captured in Odiemudie community in Ahoada East Local Council of the state by the cult gang, who dismembered his body and filmed it. The death of the cop put the police on their toes, with constant land and air bombardments in the various hideouts of the Iceland cult leader, which led to the killing of some of his lieutenants. Under Disu’s watch, the wanted cult kingpin was killed during a recent joint security raid in the Idu-Ekpeye community in the state.

In police culture globally, it is an aberration for the killer of a cop not to be captured for a long time. CP Disu took the bull by the horn to capture a hoodlum who killed his comrade at arms.

Also, under the watch of this same cop, the Rivers State Police Command, in collaboration with operatives of the Intelligence Response Team and the Delta State Police Command, neutralised one Peter “Daddy” Chukwu on April 5, 2024, in Asaba, Delta State. Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu, a.k.a Oboni, a native of Omoku in Rivers State, was a notorious gangster whose criminal enterprise was multi-faceted; he was involved in cultism, kidnapping, murder and assassination, among other crimes.

He rose to prominence in 2017 when he was made the executioner-general of the Iceland cult group in Mgbuoshimini community of Rivers State. This role was conferred on him by the ill-famed cultist and kidnap kingpin, Johnson Igwedibia, popularly known as ‘Don Waney’, to whom he was an ardent loyalist.

Don Waney was a notorious cult figure who instilled fear in the minds of Rivers State residents. His demise came during a collaborative mission involving the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2018, at the border between Rivers and Imo States.

Peter Chukwu built a base of operation in Mgbuoshimini, a suburb in Obio/Akpor Local Council of Rivers State, from where he recruited an army of young men who carried out his whims to the letter. With a massive following of cultists, he launched a syndicate that served as assassins on hire, armed robbers and gun runners.

He always had a hit list that included persons who had offended or challenged him, those he considered a threat and those he had been paid to assassinate. Such was the nature of his villainous mind that at the mention of his name, people trembled.

As his acclaim grew, he became a menacing presence in the community and began wreaking havoc indiscriminately. On May 6, 2017, he murdered the secretary of Rumueme Council of Chiefs, Chief Minikwu Chukwu, and one Jaja Optimist while they were gathering for a routine town meeting. Within the same month, he executed another community leader, Chief Mgbor.

He continued his onslaught on those he had earmarked for destruction, and on July 30, 2017, Baridule Cletus Dunle was shot dead, while on October 4, 2017, Godspower Aligbo and Dickson Gogo-Jaja had their lives snuffed out by his men.

On October 9, 2017, at about 3.00am, he and his gang attacked the abattoir area of the Mgbuoshimini community and murdered 22 people in cold blood, burning some of their victims alive. This act caused the police to declare him and eight others wanted. Consequently, he fled the community and went into hiding. He, however, resurfaced in 2023 and began another reign of terror. He set up another base in Mgbuoshimini as his previous base had been demolished after the crises that followed the massacre he perpetrated in 2017.

On his return, he arrogated to himself the position of chief adjudicator in the community and frequently forced people with disputes to appear before him. On one such occasion on January 2, 2023, he seized two residents of the community, Sunny Amadi and Victor Alabo, who he alleged, had stolen phones. They were brought before him and subjected to torture through binding and severe beatings. He then proceeded to use a razor to chop off their ears.

Two days after the mutilation of the bodies of the two men, on January 4, 2023, he invited one Grace Asuquo to appear before him because he had received reports that she had stolen a phone. She did not honour his invitation for fear of his irrationality, which offended him. He commanded his boys to arrest her and bring her before him. When she was brought before him, he tortured her for a long time, eventually murdering her. He dumped her lifeless body in front of her father’s compound.

Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu was also complicit in assassinations for hire. His gang was contracted to assassinate one Victor Golor, and in two attempts on December 12, 2023, and January 6, 2024, they failed to exterminate the target. However, on March 6, 2024, they succeeded in detonating explosives at the target’s hotel after installing a digital Apple tracker in his Toyota Hilux truck. Such was his sophistication that he had a network of informants at his beck and call and used tracking devices to trail potential victims.

‘Daddy’ became an item of deep interest to CP Disu, when, on January 13, 2024, he and his murderous band shot and killed the Community Development Council (CDC) Chairman of Mgbuoshimini, Ndidi Livingstone, as he was stepping out of the auditorium of Peculiar Faith Ministries, Rumueme, after a church service. After the dastardly act, they sped off in a waiting black SUV, which the police have now recovered.

The notorious gangster killed the CDC chairman because he collaborated with other stakeholders in establishing a local vigilante group known as OSPAC, aimed at safeguarding the community.

During a visit to the widow and family of the slain community leader, Disu directed a nationwide manhunt for the killers. Thus, an extensive search for them began. The manhunt narrowed when investigations and intelligence revealed that Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu was the mastermind behind the killings.

After learning of the location of his hideout, on March 16, 2024, at about 1.00am, operatives of a special task force of the Rivers State Police Command, comprising the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and operatives of the state command, attempted to arrest him. The suspect narrowly escaped by bursting through the ceiling and roofing sheets of the hotel, where he was cornered. He later jumped into a nearby compound and ran off, evading arrest.

In his scramble to escape, he left behind his personal effects, including a hit list containing names of his next victims and other vital documents and gadgets that gave the police a clear picture of the extent of sophistication he operated with. This necessitated the urgency in arresting the notorious criminal.

Following his close shave with the authorities, he fled to Asaba in Delta State. He remained in hiding before returning briefly to Port Harcourt, where he boasted about his invincibility and the power of his charms. He returned to Delta, where he began plotting to kill the investigating police officers and to launch attacks on police facilities to free his arrested associates.

Undeterred by the notorious gangster’s initial escape; on April 5, 2024, around 4.00am, a coordinated team launched an assault on his hideout. The team, comprising the Rivers State Command Tactical Team and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), advanced to Delta to locate the criminal’s hideout. With support from the Delta State Commissioner of Police, operatives from the command joined the conclusive operation, resulting in the neutralisation of the suspect following a fierce operation.

The list of Disu’s crime fighting exploits are endless.

On an integrity benchmark, Disu soars high as a cop with a strong penchant for integrity and justice. Due to the high spate of corruption in the police system, some top officers cover up the mess done by their colleagues, both seniors and juniors. But Disu is not in that club. Reason: He supervised the dismissal of one Police Inspector and the suspension of two Assistant Superintendents of Police for allegedly engaging in acts of extortion.

Spokesman of Rivers State Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the dismissal about a  month ago, had said: “Following our previous press briefing on February 13, 2024, wherein Inspector Michael Odey was found guilty and subsequently dismissed from duty effective from February 7, 2024, after thorough Orderly room proceedings and a comprehensive review conducted by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 16.”

“Additionally, during the briefing, we provided information regarding the ongoing reviews concerning ASP Doubara Edonyabo and ASP Talent Mungo, as their respective ranks necessitated approval from the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission.

“Today, we inform the public that the Police Service Commission has officially authorised the suspension from duty of ASP Doubara Edonyabo and ASP Talent Mungo, effective from February 29, 2024. Furthermore, the salaries of the implicated officers have been stopped.

“The two officers will face the Force Disciplinary Committee (FDC), responsible for addressing disciplinary issues involving senior officers. Updates on other cases involving these officers will be provided in due course.

“This decisive action serves as a deterrent to any police officer contemplating engaging in misconduct and reaffirms our commitment to upholding credible policing principles in Rivers State.

“Under the leadership of CP Olatunji Disu, psc, the Rivers State Police Command remains steadfast in maintaining discipline among its officers. We encourage residents to promptly report any instances of unprofessional behaviour or misconduct displayed by our officers. Reports can be made through the following contact channels: phone number 08161355218 and WhatsApp number 08067167605. Rest assured; all reports will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

“We will continue to foster a safe and secure environment for all residents of Rivers State, while working diligently in the best interests of the public we serve.”

Born in Lagos Island in 1966, Disu, who began his post-primary education at the MayFlower Junior School, Ikenne, Ogun State, later had a stint at Secondary Grammar School, Epe, and St. Gregory’s College, Lagos, for his senior secondary school education.  He later proceeded to the Lagos State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Education before enrolling for a Post Graduate Diploma programme in International Relations and Strategic Studies at the same university.

Not done with intellectual pursuit, he proceeded to Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba, Ondo State, to obtain a Masters in Public Administration.

He enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force in 1992 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and trained at the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano, before his redeployment to actual police duties that have over the years taken him to various places.  He has served as Divisional Police Officer in various divisions and states. At various times, he served as officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Rivers, Oyo and Ondo states.

He was one time Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Rivers State Police Command. Over the years also, Disu had participated in several international peace missions.

Since his appointment in 2015 as the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), he has steadily proved that he is on a mission to etch his name in gold by extra-ordinarily working hard to make the NPF a global brand through a more humanistic policing approach.