By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Nigeria Police Force has appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Anthony Okon Placid as the new Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), following the removal of ACP Benjamin Hundeyin from the position.
The appointment was approved by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Rilwan Disu in a statement posted by the outgoing force PRO ACP Benjamin Hundeyin on Sunday.
Placid, a seasoned officer with nearly three decades of experience in the Nigeria Police Force, takes over the role with a background spanning administration, operations, intelligence, training, and international peacekeeping.
Born on December 2, 1970, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the new police spokesperson hails from Mbiokporo Nsit in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area. 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 in 1996 as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police at the Police Academy in Kano 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, with 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.
His previous roles include serving as Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa State and at the Police Staff College in Jos. He has also held international assignments such as Chief of Training for the African Union Mission in Sudan and Head of Training and Development for the United Nations Mission in Darfur.
Within Nigeria, he served as Divisional Police Officer in several locations including Federal Housing in Calabar, Bakassi, Uruan, and Gembu, and was Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Robbery Unit in Kaduna State. He also worked as 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.
Placid is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), a Commonwealth Human Rights Trainer, and a trainer on International Humanitarian Law for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He recently completed the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, and was inducted as a Member of the National Institute (mni) in December 2025 before his redeployment to Cross River State.
The development formally ends ACP Hundeyin’s tenure as the police image maker, during which he served as the public face of the Nigeria Police Force.
