The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has approved the appointment of Anthony Okon Placid as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) of the Nigeria Police Force.
Placid, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, succeeds Benjamin Hundeyin, who had served as the Force spokesperson.
A seasoned police officer with decades of experience, Placid has served in various capacities covering administration, operations, intelligence, training and international peacekeeping assignments.
Born on December 2, 1970, in Uyo, he hails from Mbiokporo Nsit in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom 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.
Placid joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police at the Nigeria Police Academy in 1996 and was commissioned in August 1998.
Over the years, he has attended several professional and international courses, including the United Nations Peace Operations Specialised Training programme, with 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.
The new police spokesperson has served in various strategic roles both within and outside Nigeria. His previous assignments include Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State; PPRO at the Police Staff College, Jos; Chief of Training for the African Union Mission in Sudan; and Head of Training and Development at the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur.
He also served as 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; and Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Intelligence Department of Abia State.
Before his appointment, he served as Deputy in charge of Administration and Finance at Zone 3 Headquarters in Yola.
Placid is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a certified trainer for the International Committee of the Red Cross on International Humanitarian Law. He is also a Commonwealth Human Rights Trainer.
He is a graduate of the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, and was inducted as a Member of the National Institute (mni) on December 13, 2025.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on March 8, 2026, by the outgoing Force Public Relations Officer, Hundeyin.
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