Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) of Police are expected to face compulsory retirement following the recent appointment of Tunji Disu as Inspector General of Police (IGP), sources within the Nigeria Police Force have indicated.
The development coincides with the Police Service Commission (PSC) scheduling an interactive promotion interview for seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) vying for elevation to the rank of DIG.
According to an internal wireless message from Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, the promotion interview is set for Friday, March 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Chairman’s Conference Room on the 6th Floor of the PSC Corporate Headquarters, Plot 64, Cadastral Zone, Jabi, Abuja.
The invited officers are:
– AIG Zacharia Fera Achinyan
– AIG Zango Ibrahim Baba
– AIG Isyaku Mohammed
– AIG Margaret Agebe Ochalla
– AIG Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman
– AIG Kenechukwu Onwuemelie
– AIG Umar Shehu Nadada
The message, issued on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, directed the officers to attend the session in conventional attire (black jacket, beret, and swagger cane) and to refresh their knowledge in core areas, including professional studies, relevant laws, and police regulations.
The promotion exercise is a standard career progression process conducted jointly by the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission, which oversees appointments, promotions, and discipline of senior officers.
Multiple sources told SaharaReporters that the anticipated retirement of several DIGs stems from the need for IGP Disu—who was appointed less than two months before his scheduled retirement at age 60—to build a stable management team aligned with his leadership vision.
Born April 13, 1966, in Lagos State (police serial number AP 41729), Disu was promoted to Assistant Inspector-General on March 6, 2025. He was originally due to retire on April 13, 2026. Under amendments to the Police Act, however, an IGP can serve a fixed four-year tenure irrespective of age or service length, potentially allowing Disu to remain in office until 2030.
An internal list circulating within the Force reportedly identifies at least eight DIGs—including those in Finance, Logistics, ICT, Training, and Research and Planning—as candidates for retirement to maintain command hierarchy and facilitate a smooth transition.
Earlier reports indicated intense lobbying by some senior officers to retain their positions, amid concerns that Disu’s short remaining service period could limit his ability to assemble a reliable team.
Last week, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that President Bola Tinubu intervened to block a planned mass retirement of around 30 DIGs and AIGs following the removal of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun.
The current developments have reignited debate over the practice of compulsory retirement during leadership transitions in the Nigeria Police Force, a pattern that historically triggers widespread exits among top-ranking officers to accommodate new command structures.
