Senior police officers are expected to undergo a promotion interview on Friday as uncertainty surrounds the fate of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) following the appointment of Tunji Disu as Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
An internal wireless message from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja confirmed that the interactive promotion examination for seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) seeking elevation to the rank of DIG will hold on March 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
The interview is scheduled for the Chairman’s Conference Room on the 6th Floor of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Corporate Headquarters at Plot 64, Cadastral Zone, Jabi, Abuja. The invited officers include AIG Zacharia Fera Achinyan, AIG Zango Ibrahim Baba, AIG Isyaku Mohammed, AIG Margaret Agebe Ochalla, AIG Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman, AIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, and AIG Umar Shehu Nadada.
The directive, issued on behalf of the IGP, urged the officers to attend in person and to refresh their knowledge of professional studies, relevant laws, and police regulations. They were also instructed to appear in conventional attire comprising a black jacket, beret, and swagger cane.
The promotion process forms part of routine career progression within the Nigeria Police Force and is conducted in collaboration with the Police Service Commission, which oversees appointments, promotions, and discipline of senior officers.
The development comes amid reports that several current DIGs may be compulsorily retired following Disu’s appointment. Sources within the force say internal discussions are ongoing over the structure of the police leadership and whether the new IGP should assemble his own management team.
Disu, born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos State, was promoted to Assistant Inspector-General on March 6, 2025, and was previously due to retire on April 13, 2026, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60. His appointment as IGP, however, gives him a fixed four-year tenure under the amended Police Act, potentially allowing him to remain in office until 2030.
Despite the tenure provision, sources indicate that political and institutional considerations may influence how long he remains in office beyond his original retirement timeline.
An internal list reportedly circulating within the force suggests that at least eight DIGs — including Yahaya Abubakar (Finance), Adebola Hamzat (Logistics), Adebowale Williams (ICT), Frank Mba (Training), and Basil Idegwu (Research and Planning) — could be affected by a restructuring aimed at maintaining command hierarchy.
Earlier reports indicated that a broader shake-up involving the compulsory retirement of about 30 senior officers was halted after presidential intervention. The situation has renewed debate over the practice of mass retirement of senior officers during leadership transitions in the police.
