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IGP Disu appoints Anthony Placid as new Police spokesperson
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has approved the appointment of Anthony Okon Placid, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) of the Nigeria Police Force.
The appointment was announced on Sunday in a statement issued by the outgoing Force spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
According to the statement, the new police spokesman is a seasoned officer with extensive experience spanning administration, operations, intelligence, training, and international peacekeeping.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has approved the appointment of DCP Anthony Okon Placid as the new Force Public Relations Officer,” Hundeyin said.
Placid, born on December 2, 1970, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, hails from Mbiokporo Nsit in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Uyo, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos, and also studied Law at the National Open University of Nigeria.
Placid joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police at the Police Academy Kano in 1996 and was commissioned into the force in August 1998.
Over the years, he has undergone several professional and international trainings, including the United Nations Peace Operations Specialised Training, where he obtained certifications in Police Studies, Military Studies, Gender Awareness, International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Civilian Protection.
He also participated in the UNITAR Senior Leadership and Peacebuilding Course in Kenya.
Throughout his career, the officer has served in several strategic roles within and outside Nigeria. These include Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State and at the Police Staff College, Jos; Chief of Training with the African Union Mission in Sudan; and Head of Training and Development with the United Nations Mission in Darfur.
He also served as Divisional Police Officer in Federal Housing Calabar, Bakassi, Uruan, and Gembu, as well as Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Robbery Unit in Kaduna State.
DCP Anthony Okon Placid
Other positions held by Placid include African Union Election Security Adviser; Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Akwa Ibom and Kogi States; Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Intelligence Department in Abia State; and Deputy in charge of Administration and Finance at Zone 3 Headquarters in Yola.
The new police spokesperson is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and serves as a Commonwealth Human Rights Trainer and trainer on International Humanitarian Law with the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Placid is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, where he was inducted as a Member of the National Institute in December 2025.
Hundeyin noted that the appointment comes as part of ongoing efforts by the police leadership to strengthen strategic communication and public engagement within the force.
The new Force spokesperson is married with children and enjoys listening to music, playing football, basketball, table tennis, badminton, and interacting with people.
President Bola Tinubu has restated that his government is committed to addressing the country’s main problems, including economic difficulties, power shortages and safety issues.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Tinubu stated that his government is still focused on policies aimed at helping the poorest and most at-risk Nigerians.
He said: “We won’t stop moving forward, and we’ll keep looking for ways to help those who are struggling.
“This is a government that really cares.”
He noted that having steady power supply is very important for development, stressing that industrial growth and learning new skills mostly rely on having dependable electricity.
“You can’t have industrial growth, learning new skills, or people gaining strength without having enough power.
“I promise Nigerians that we will provide electricity to support our country’s development,” he said.
The president also thanked Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, for the way he leads the state.
“Diri has shown the strength of leading with a clear purpose, and I am here today making a promise that the challenges we face, along with the legacy of those who led this country, including the battles and difficulties of ensuring security, will be met with hard work to properly equip and train our men and women in the Armed Forces. We will defeat terrorism and banditry.”
The Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese, Dr Peter Chukwu is dead.
A source said the Bishop died where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
Meanwhile, a social media influencer, Nwoba Chika Nwoba, in a post on his Facebook page, mourned the demise of the Bishop.
He wrote, “A very bad one for us in Ebonyi State. The loss of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Abakaliki, Dr Peter Chukwu is a terrible loss.
“This loss is huge. God knows why, but it’s painful losing him in his 50s. A refined man and Associate Professor. This loss is beyond Ezza’s loss. It’s well. We can’t take war to God’s place. Kidney transplant issue. NCN.”
The authorities of the Catholic Church is expected to issue an official statement announcing the demise of the Bishop.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced former senatorial candidate in Borno State, Babagana Habeeb, to 10 years’ imprisonment for aiding terrorism through the sale of petroleum products to insurgents.
The trial judge, Peter Lifu, convicted Habeeb on a one-count charge of aiding and abetting terrorism filed by the Federal Government.
Habeeb, a fuel dealer based in Maiduguri, had pleaded guilty to the charge upon arraignment, admitting that he sold fuel to members of the Boko Haram operating in the North-East.
The convict, however, claimed that the transactions might have been carried out by attendants at his filling station.
During the proceedings, Habeeb appealed for leniency, kneeling in the dock as he urged the court to temper justice with mercy.
He told the court that he had two wives and six children and had been in detention for over 10 years without contact with his family.
Counsel to the Federal Government, David Kaswe, opposed the plea, arguing that the support provided to the terrorist group had serious consequences.
Kaswe submitted that the supply of fuel enabled the insurgents to power motorcycles used in attacks, leading to loss of lives and displacement of communities.
He urged the court to impose a stiffer penalty, noting that although the defendant had spent over a decade in custody, a 20-year sentence would be appropriate.
In his judgment, Justice Lifu held that there was no evidence establishing that the defendant was a member of Boko Haram or had undergone weapons training.
He, however, ruled that the admission of selling fuel to the insurgents was sufficient to sustain the charge of aiding terrorism.
The judge also noted that the prosecution did not challenge the defendant’s claim of prolonged detention.
Justice Lifu consequently sentenced Habeeb to 10 years’ imprisonment.
He ordered that the sentence should take effect from the date of the convict’s arrest and detention.
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