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Top DIGs, including Frank Mba, may exit as Disu becomes Ag IGP
“Following IGP Egbetokun’s resignation, leadership shake-up at Nigeria Police Force sparks speculation over retirements of senior officers amid new appointments“
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Several senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force, including Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Frank Mba, may leave the service following the resignation of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun and the appointment of Olatunji Disu as acting IGP, sources say.
Egbetokun, whose tenure had been extended by one year in 2025 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, resigned on Tuesday citing personal family reasons. He was appointed the 22nd IGP on June 19, 2023, at age 58, and his appointment was confirmed by the Nigeria Police Council on October 31, 2023.
Originally due to retire on September 4, 2024 upon reaching the mandatory age of 60, Egbetokun’s term was extended by a National Assembly amendment to the Police Act, allowing him to serve a full four-year term unless removed by the President.
With Disu’s appointment as the 23rd IGP in acting capacity, speculation has risen that several officers senior to him may now be candidates for retirement. DIG Frank Mba, currently overseeing Training and Development at Force Headquarters in Abuja, is reportedly among at least four DIGs expected to exit as part of the leadership transition.
It is customary for new IGPs to make sweeping changes at the top of the force’s hierarchy, often affecting DIGs who are senior in rank or entry year.
While it remains unclear whether recently promoted DIGs Fayoade Adegoke Mustapha, Funsho Adegboye, and Mohammed Adamu Dankwara will retire alongside Egbetokun, internal lists circulating within the police suggest several senior officers could be affected.
Among those mentioned are DIG Yahaya S. Abubakar (Finance and Administration), DIG Adebola Hamzat (Logistics and Supply), DIG Adebowale Williams (Information and Communication Technology), DIG Sadiq Idris Abubakar (Force Criminal Investigations Department), DIG Ben Nebolisa Okolo (Force Intelligence Department), and DIG Basil O. Idegwu (Research and Planning).
A source familiar with the force noted that several of the officers, including Disu and Mba, were coursemates who joined the police in 1992 but through different entry cadres.
“Mba joined as a Cadet Inspector, while Disu and others entered as Assistant Superintendents of Police. Usually, ASP entrants are promoted faster than Cadet Inspectors,” the source said.
It was also reported that the three newly promoted DIGs may retire between June and July due to age considerations.
In the Nigeria Police, officers retire either upon reaching 60 years of age or after 35 years of service. Police authorities have yet to officially confirm the timing or details of any retirements or redeployments linked to the leadership change.
