The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has approved the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Anthony Okon Placid as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) of the Nigeria Police Force.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the outgoing Force Public Relations Officer, Ag. ACP Benjamin Hundeyin.
According to Hundeyin, “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 (FPRO).”
He described the new police spokesman as a seasoned officer with extensive experience across several aspects of policing.
“DCP Placid is a seasoned officer of the Nigeria Police Force with extensive experience in administration, operations, intelligence, training, and international peacekeeping,” Hundeyin stated.
Born on December 2, 1970, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Placid 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 and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos. He also studied Law at the National Open University of Nigeria, where he pursued a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B).
Placid joined the police as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police at the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano, in 1996 and was commissioned in August 1998.
Throughout his career, he has attended several professional and international courses, including the United Nations Peace Operations Specialised Training (POST), where he earned certifications in Police Studies, Military Studies, Gender Awareness, International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Civilian Protection. He also completed the UNITAR Senior Leadership and Peacebuilding Course in Kenya.
The new FPRO has served in several strategic roles both within and outside Nigeria, including Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State and at the Police Staff College in Jos. He also served as Chief of Training with the African Union Mission in Sudan and as Head of Training and Development with the United Nations Mission in Darfur.
Other positions he held include Divisional Police Officer in Federal Housing Calabar, Bakassi, Uruan, and Gembu; Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Robbery Unit in Kaduna State; 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.
Hundeyin further noted that Placid is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a Commonwealth Human Rights Trainer as well as an International Committee of the Red Cross trainer on International Humanitarian Law.
He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, and was inducted as a Member of the National Institute (mni) on December 13, 2025, before his redeployment to Cross River State.
