‎By Kenneth Madaki

‎The Nigeria Judo Federation has secured the support of Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, for the 2026 IGP Judo Championships, following a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

‎The delegation, led by NJF President Musa Oshodi, met Disu at the IGP Conference Hall, where discussions centred on deepening collaboration between the federation and the Nigeria Police Force, an institution that has historically produced several of the country’s top judokas.

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‎Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Oshodi described the engagement as productive, noting that the IGP’s personal background as a former judo athlete lent added weight to the discussions.

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‎“We presented three key requests to the IGP,” Oshodi said. “First, we sought his sponsorship and support for the 2026 IGP Judo Championships. Second, we proposed closer collaboration with the Nigerian Police to intensify their kinetic defence base through judo training.

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‎“Third, we appealed to him to use his good office to attract individual and corporate sponsors to the federation.”

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‎Disu, who holds a fourth Dan black belt, assured the delegation of his commitment to the federation’s goals. The visit also served as an opportunity to formally inform him of his upgrade from third Dan to fourth Dan and his elevation from Patron to Life Patron of the NJF.

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‎“IGP Disu told us unequivocally that he is ready to partner with the federation’s aspirations. He understands the values of discipline, resilience, and respect that judo instils, and he wants to see those values spread further within the Force and beyond,” Oshodi said.

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‎The NJF president expressed confidence that the partnership would deliver tangible results ahead of the championships and strengthen the role of judo in national security training.

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‎”We are confident that with the IGP’s support, judo will continue to grow as both a competitive sport and a tool for building discipline and tactical capacity in our security agencies,” he added.