The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on Monday decorated eight senior officers recently promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) during a ceremony held at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
In a statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Victor Isuku on Monday, Mr Disu during the decoration ceremony, described the elevation to the rank of DIG as recognition of decades of service, leadership, and professional excellence within the Nigeria Police Force.
He said the promotion goes beyond a symbolic event and places greater responsibility on the officers to provide strategic leadership and strengthen policing across the country.
“Promotion to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police is a recognition of decades of dedicated service, professional excellence and leadership capacity,” IGP Disu said.
The decoration of the eight Deputy Inspectors-General of Police comes shortly after Olatunji Rilwan Disu assumed office as Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, following the resignation of his predecessor Kayode Egbetokun.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Mr Disu as acting police chief on February 24, 2026, before his appointment was later ratified by the National Police Council and formalised during a swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The promotion of new Deputy Inspectors-General also comes amid expectations that the new police leadership will push reforms aimed at restoring public trust in the police, strengthening professionalism, and improving intelligence-led policing across the country.
The police chief urged the newly promoted officers to strengthen discipline within the force and ensure policing strategies remain responsive to emerging security challenges.
He also called on them to prioritise intelligence-led policing, operational coordination, inter-agency collaboration and accountability in the discharge of their duties.
According to Mr Disu, the officers must use their experience to inspire confidence within the police force and strengthen public trust in law enforcement.
The IGP also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting reforms within the police force and thanked the Police Service Commission for ensuring transparency in the promotion process.
He further acknowledged the families of the newly promoted officers for their support and sacrifices throughout their careers.
The newly decorated Deputy Inspectors-General of Police are Zachariah Fera Achinyan, Zango Ibrahim Baba, Isyaku Mohammed, Margaret Agebe Ochalla, Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, Fayoade Adegoke Mustapha, and Umar Shehu Nadada.
The officers will now serve as members of the Force Management Team alongside the IGP and the Force Secretary, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Olabode Adeleye Akinbamilowo.
Several dignitaries attended the ceremony, including chairman of the house committee on Air Force, Kabir Alhassan Rurum, Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Temitope Ilori, and former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Danladi Kefas.
Others present were former Federal Roads Maintenance Agency chairman Jide Adeniji, Muhammed Abdulmutalik, a commissioner from Kogi State, the Zazzau of Zaria, Arese Arase, widow of former Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase, former Department of State Services spokesperson Marilyn Ogar, and several retired senior police officers.
Background
The leadership change marked a major transition within the Nigeria Police Force at a time the country is grappling with multiple security challenges, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West, kidnapping, and rising violent crime in parts of the country.
Security analysts say such promotions are typically part of a broader restructuring that accompanies the appointment of a new Inspector-General, allowing the police chief to assemble a management team responsible for shaping operational strategy, discipline, and reforms within the force.
In addition, several senior officers within the police hierarchy are expected to retire in the coming months due to statutory service limits, making new appointments necessary to fill leadership gaps in the force’s command structure.
The Deputy Inspectors-General of Police constitute part of the Force Management Team, the highest decision-making body in the Nigeria Police Force, responsible for overseeing national policing strategy, operations, and administration.
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