The Nigeria Police Force has removed Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede from his role as Head of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, SaharaReporters has learned.
Sources told SaharaReporters on Sunday that the decision was made by Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu. Fakorede, who previously commanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), was appointed to lead the IGP Monitoring Unit in December 2024 by then-IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
His appointment had faced criticism from human rights organisations due to past allegations of brutality, extrajudicial killings, and election-related misconduct during his tenure with SARS. Civil society groups had warned that his track record could undermine public confidence in the monitoring unit.
Fakorede’s leadership of the unit had been marred by claims of human rights violations, unprofessional conduct, and bias. In one notable instance, he was implicated in a contentious land dispute at River Park Estate in Abuja, where he was accused of siding against Ghanaian investors. Reports indicate that in January 2026, the monitoring unit under his watch clashed with journalists and workers during a protest at the same estate.
Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike had previously criticized Fakorede, publicly describing him as a “killer” due to his SARS record and alleged interference in elections during Wike’s tenure as Governor of Rivers State. Wike highlighted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had reportedly advised against Fakorede’s involvement in elections, and he personally raised concerns with former IGP Egbetokun about Fakorede’s suitability for the monitoring team.
In a 2025 interview on Channels Television, Wike said, “Then the only policeman, the one they called Akin Fakorede, I hear now, is the one in charge of the IG monitoring team. He was in charge of SARS. That was a killer… He was in charge of SARS in Rivers State. I say a killer. A killer. Can I tell you? That’s nothing I cannot say today.”
Fakorede had also been linked to allegations of shielding international fraudster Jesam Michael, CEO of Afriq Arbitrage System (AAS). Reports suggested that Fakorede dismissed evidence implicating Michael in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 56,000 investors and facilitated roughly 590,000 illegal transactions, despite approximately $1.6 billion traced to the perpetrator’s digital wallet.
Sources close to the matter indicated that Fakorede had strong influence within the police, earning the nickname “Odogwu,” and was seen by colleagues as philanthropic.
The Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official statement on the removal as of the time of filing.