By Our Correspondent

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approved the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anthony Placid, as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) of the Nigeria Police Force.

Placid replaces outgoing spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin in a leadership change aimed at strengthening the force’s communication strategy and public engagement.

The announcement was made on Sunday in a statement issued at the police headquarters in Abuja.

Hundeyin, who signed the statement as the outgoing spokesperson, confirmed that the new police spokesperson brings decades of operational, administrative and international peacekeeping experience to the role.

Placid, born on December 2, 1970, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, hails from Mbiokporo Nsit in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area.

He joined the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police at the Police Academy in Kano in 1996 and was officially commissioned in August 1998.

The new Force PRO 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 obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Throughout his career, Placid has held several key positions across Nigeria and in international peace missions.

His previous roles include Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State, PPRO at the Police Staff College in Jos, and Divisional Police Officer in multiple locations including Federal Housing Calabar, Bakassi, Uruan and Gembu.

He also served as Chief of Training with the African Union Mission in Sudan and Head of Training and Development with the United Nations Mission in Darfur.

Within Nigeria, he worked as Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) in Akwa Ibom and Kogi states, and later served in the Intelligence Department in Abia State.

Placid is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a Commonwealth Human Rights trainer.

He has also trained security personnel on International Humanitarian Law in partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

A graduate of the Senior Executive Course 47 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, he was inducted as a Member of the National Institute in December 2025 before his redeployment to Cross River State.

Married with children, the new police spokesperson enjoys music and sports, including football, basketball, table tennis and badminton.