Nigeria Police Appoint New Spokesperson as Disu Reorganises Force Structure
The Nigeria Police Force has removed Assistant Commissioner of Police Benjamin Hundeyin as the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) and replaced him with Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Okon Placid.
Although an official statement had not been issued as of Saturday, sources at the police headquarters in Abuja confirmed the development.
According to the sources, Hundeyin was relieved of the position on Thursday and had informed some of his close associates about the decision.
“He told people close to him that he had been asked to leave, but no announcement has been made since that day,” a source familiar with the development said.
The sources also disclosed that a new department known as the New Media Office has been created within the police structure, with Chief Superintendent of Police Ali Giwa appointed to head the unit.
An official announcement on the changes is expected from the police authorities.
Hundeyin was appointed as the force spokesperson in September 2025 by the former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. At the time of his appointment, he held the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police but was later promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Before becoming the force spokesperson, Hundeyin served as the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command and previously worked at the Zone 2 Command Headquarters in Lagos. In 2020, he was part of Nigeria’s contingent to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, Sudan.
Hundeyin holds a degree in English from Lagos State University and a master’s degree in Legal Criminology and Security Psychology from the University of Ibadan.
His removal comes amid ongoing changes within the police hierarchy following the appointment of Olatunji Disu as the new Inspector-General of Police.
Inspectors-General who were senior to Disu have retired from the service as part of efforts to maintain a clear chain of command within the force. On Friday, seven Assistant Inspectors-General were promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspectors-General to fill the vacancies created by the retirements.
Bola Tinubu appointed Disu as acting Inspector-General of Police on 24 February following the resignation of Egbetokun. The Nigeria Police Council later confirmed him as the 23rd substantive Inspector-General of Police on 2 March.
