IGP Disu Shuts Down Police WhatsApp Groups Over Leaks, Issues New Directive

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has ordered an immediate nationwide crackdown on WhatsApp and other social media platforms by officers for official communication following concerns over the unauthorised disclosure and leakage of sensitive police information.

A police wireless message from the Force Headquarters in Abuja, obtained on Sunday, directed state police commands and departments across the country to urgently review and sanitise all official WhatsApp groups and other digital communication platforms used by personnel.

The directive, issued by the office of the Inspector-General through the Police Wireless Message system, warned that the increasing use of WhatsApp and similar chat platforms for unofficial communication had resulted in serious breaches of the Nigeria Police Force’s information security protocols.

According to the signal sent to all Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Commissioners of Police, and heads of various police formations nationwide, the police leadership expressed strong displeasure over gross abuse of WhatsApp platforms within the force.

The message stated that poor oversight and the use of uncensored digital platforms had led to repeated leaks of official information, posing a threat to operational security and internal discipline.

It further noted that the practice had resulted in the unauthorised disclosure and leakage of official information, which the police leadership described as unacceptable.

As part of the new directive, police commands nationwide were ordered to immediately remove all retired, transferred, deceased, or dismissed personnel from any departmental WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms being used for official communication.

The police hierarchy also directed that such platforms must be promptly deactivated once their assigned operational purpose has been completed.

The signal further instructed all formations to conduct regular and thorough vetting of members in any approved digital communication platforms while enforcing strict monitoring and control of content shared on such platforms.

Access to these groups, the directive added, must be restricted strictly to authorised personnel.

In addition, the Force Public Relations Department was directed to immediately commence a comprehensive sensitisation programme for officers and personnel on the Nigeria Police Force Social Media Policy as well as cyber hygiene protocols.

The police leadership warned that strict compliance with the directive is mandatory and that any officer found violating the policy or the new directives would face disciplinary sanctions.

The signal warned that all personnel found culpable of violating these directives or the Force Social Media Policy shall be sanctioned accordingly.

The message read, “X WHATSAPP PLATFORMS X OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA CHAT ENGINES AS AN INFORMAL MEANS OF OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION X INGENPOL ATTENTION HAS BEEN DRAWN TO THE GROSS ABUSE OF THIS PRACTICE X RESULTING IN UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE X LEAKAGE OF OFFICIAL INFORMATION ATTRIBUTED TO POOR OVERSIGHT X UNCENSORED DIGITAL PLATFORMS X HE STRONGLY FROWNS AT THE FLAGRANT VIOLATION X NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE FORCE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY X CONSEQUENTLY INGENPOL DIRECTS THAT X YOU IMMEDIATELY REMOVE RETIRED X TRANSFERRED X DECEASED X DISMISSED PERSONNEL FROM ALL DEPARTMENTAL WHATSAPP X OTHER OFFICIAL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS X ENSURE PROMPT DEACTIVATION OF SUCH PLATFORMS UPON COMPLETION OF THEIR ASSIGNED PURPOSE X CONDUCT REGULAR X THOROUGH VETTING OF MEMBERSHIP X ENFORCE STRICT CONTENT MONITORING X CONTROL X RESTRICT ACCESS STRICTLY TO AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY X PRESSFOR ABUJA ONLY X YOU ARE TO IMMEDIATELY COMMENCE COMPREHENSIVE SENSITIZATION OF PERSONNEL ON FORCE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY X CYBER HYGIENE PROTOCOLS X PROVFOR ONLY X ENSURE STRICT COMPLIANCE X AS ANY PERSONNEL FOUND CULPABLE OF VIOLATING THESE DIRECTIVES OR THE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY X SHALL BE SANCTIONED ACCORDINGLY X TREAT AS VERY IMPORTANT X PLEASE.”

The development highlights growing concerns within the police hierarchy over internal information management and the risks posed by unregulated digital communication channels, especially amid increasing incidents of leaked official documents and operational details appearing in the public domain.

The directive has been marked as “very important,” signalling the urgency and seriousness attached to its enforcement across the force.

Ibom Focus had also reported that IGP Disu already directed the immediate dissolution of multiple tactical units operating across commands nationwide.

The directive, communicated through an internal wireless message, was issued after a recent virtual meeting between senior police officers and the IGP.

According to the message, all existing tactical teams at the command, area command, and divisional levels, regardless of their operational names, have been ordered dissolved with immediate effect.

“Following the IGP’s directives at the just concluded Zoom meeting with Commissioners of Police and above, all existing tactical teams at commands are being reformed into two, with operational names to be provided by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations,” the message read in part.

The signal further specified that units such as “Lion, Tiger, Scorpion squads and others by whatever names called” are no longer to operate in their current form.

Under the new arrangement, only area commands and divisional surveillance units are permitted to function temporarily, pending further directives.