Eight Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs) have reportedly retired from the Nigeria Police Force, with sources indicating they are considering legal action to contest the terms and circumstances of their exit.
The affected officers include former Force Public Relations Officer Frank Mba, Sadiq Idris Abubakar, Bzigu Yakubu Kwazi (DIG in charge of Operations), Adebola Hamzat, Basil Okwuoma Idegwu, Mohammed Gumel, Dankwara Adamu Mohammed, and Funsho Adegboye.
Sources within the police hierarchy told SaharaReporters that the retired DIGs are currently reviewing the process surrounding their retirement and may approach the courts to challenge whether due process was followed and if the decision complied with existing service regulations on tenure and retirement.
The retirements follow the recent appointment of Tunji Disu as Inspector-General of Police (IGP). Earlier reports indicated pressure on the administration to allow Disu to build a stable management team, amid lobbying by some senior officers to retain their positions.
The decision to retire the DIGs was reportedly finalized late Thursday, paving the way for new promotions. On Friday, March 6, 2026, seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) successfully completed promotion interviews with the Police Service Commission (PSC) and are scheduled to be decorated as DIGs by IGP Disu on Monday.
The promoted officers 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. DIG Adegoke Mustapha Fayoade, promoted earlier in February, will also be decorated on the same day.
The promotion exercise is part of routine career progression within the Force, conducted in collaboration with the PSC, which oversees appointments, promotions, and discipline of senior officers.
Disu’s appointment came less than two months before his scheduled retirement at age 60 (born April 13, 1966). Under amendments to the Police Act, an IGP can serve a fixed four-year term regardless of age or service length, potentially allowing him to remain until 2030. However, emerging political and institutional factors may limit any extension beyond his original retirement date.
The wave of compulsory retirements has reignited debate over the longstanding practice in the Nigeria Police Force, where leadership transitions often trigger widespread exits among top-ranking officers to enable new command structures.
