Meet DIGs likely to retire after Tunji Disu’s appointment

Disu

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday appointed AIG Tunji Disu as the acting Inspector-General of Police.

His appointment followed the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun from the apex office of the nation’s police force.

The immediate past IG tendered his resignation, citing pressing family considerations.

Appointed in June 2023, Egbetokun was serving a four-year term scheduled to conclude in June 2027, in line with the amended provisions of the Police Act.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President received the letter earlier on Tuesday and expressed appreciation for his service to the nation.

Until his appointment, Disu was the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.

In Nigeria, it is an established practice for senior police officers to retire when a junior colleague is appointed Inspector General of Police, and although this is not legally mandatory, it reflects the force’s strong respect for hierarchy, seniority, and organisational stability.

In this report, PUNCH Online identifies the affected DIGs who would need to leave for Disu to be a substantial IG of the country’s police force.

Frank Mba

Frank Mba began his policing career as an Inspector and steadily rose through the ranks. In 1999, he was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police, followed by Deputy Superintendent of Police in 2003. He was promoted to Superintendent of Police (SP) in 2008, Chief Superintendent of Police in 2012, Assistant Commissioner of Police in 2014, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in 2018, and Commissioner of Police in December 2020. In March 2023, he was decorated as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police.