Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) of Police are set to be compulsorily retired following the appointment of Tunji Disu as the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
This comes as the Police Service Commission (PSC) has scheduled a promotion interview for seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) seeking elevation to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG).
According to an internal police wireless message from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, the interactive promotion examination will take place on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
The interview will be held at the Chairman’s Conference Room on the 6th Floor of the PSC Corporate Headquarters located at Plot 64, Cadastral Zone, Jabi, Abuja.
The officers invited to appear before the commission are 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 message, issued on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, directed the officers to attend the session as scheduled and urged them to refresh their knowledge in their core areas of duty, including professional studies, relevant laws, and local police regulations.
The invited officers were also instructed to appear in conventional attire comprising a black jacket, beret, and swagger cane.
The promotion process is 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 police officers.
On Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that pressure was mounting on President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the future of several DIGs, amid concerns that the newly appointed IGP, Disu, lacked a stable management team to work with.
Multiple sources within the Nigeria Police Force said the uncertainty had triggered intense internal manoeuvering, with some senior officers lobbying to retain their positions.
However, it was learnt on Thursday evening that the administration has decided to let the DIGs go.
Disu’s appointment came less than two months before his scheduled retirement at the mandatory age of 60.
Born on April 13, 1966, in Lagos State, Disu (police serial number AP 41729) was promoted to Assistant Inspector-General on March 6, 2025. Prior to his elevation as IGP, he was originally due to retire on April 13, 2026.
Under the amended Police Act, Inspectors-General of Police are permitted to serve a fixed four-year tenure regardless of age or years of service. By that provision, Disu could remain in office until 2030.
However, the media had previously reported that unlike his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun, emerging political and institutional dynamics may prevent Disu from enjoying an extension beyond his scheduled retirement date.
Earlier, it was noted that some stakeholders were urging President Tinubu to overhaul the police leadership structure. Their aim was to allow Disu to assemble his own management team.
“Pressure has been mounting to fire the DIGs because the newly appointed IGP, Disu, has no management team to work with, and the DIGs are mounting pressure of their own to remain because they claim Disu is retiring soon,” a source close to the Tinubu Presidency told SaharaReporters.
Meanwhile, last Friday, the media exclusively reported that a planned shake-up that would have seen the compulsory retirement of around 30 DIGs and AIGs following the removal of Egbetokun as IGP had been halted by President Tinubu.
SaharaReporters exclusively learned that the President intervened to stop the mass firing of senior officers.
The appointment of a new Acting IGP has reignited a nationwide debate over the controversial practice of compulsory retirement for senior police officers. Historically, such transitions trigger a wave of exits among top-ranking officers.
An internal list circulating within the Force indicates that at least eight DIGs, including Yahaya Abubakar (Finance), Adebola Hamzat (Logistics), Adebowale Williams (ICT), Frank Mba (Training), and Basil Idegwu (Research and Planning), were expected to be retired to preserve the command hierarchy.
