Shock Shake-Up: Eight Police DIGs Step Down, Eye Legal Fight
Follow us on Google News 
Eight senior officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have reportedly retired and may take legal action to challenge the circumstances surrounding their departure from service.
The officers, all holding the rank of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), were said to have stepped down on Friday as part of an ongoing restructuring within the police leadership following the appointment of a new Inspector-General of Police.
Sources within the force told Sahara Reporters that the affected officers are currently reviewing the details of their retirement and could approach the courts if they find that the required procedures were not properly followed.
Those who reportedly retired include former Force Public Relations Officer Frank Mba, Sadiq Idris Abubakar, Bzigu Yakubu Kwazi (who served as DIG in charge of Operations), Adebola Hamzat, Basil Okwuoma Idegwu, Mohammed Gumel, Dankwara Adamu Mohammed, and Funsho Adegboye.
According to insiders, the officers are assessing legal options, particularly regarding their official retirement dates and whether the decision complied with service rules governing tenure and retirement within the police force.
The development comes shortly after the appointment of Tunji Disu as the Inspector-General of Police. Earlier reports had indicated that the DIGs were likely to be compulsorily retired following the leadership transition.
Meanwhile, seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police who recently appeared before the Police Service Commission (PSC) for promotion interviews have reportedly passed the screening process.
They are expected to be formally decorated as Deputy Inspectors-General of Police by the Inspector-General on Monday. The officers include Zacharia Fera Achinyan, Zango Ibrahim Baba, Isyaku Mohammed, Margaret Agebe Ochalla, Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, and Umar Shehu Nadada.
The promotion screening was conducted on Friday at the headquarters of the Police Service Commission in Abuja.
Adegoke Mustapha Fayoade, who was promoted from Assistant Inspector-General to Deputy Inspector-General in February, will also be decorated alongside the newly elevated officers. His promotion was approved by the commission on February 20 after he successfully completed the required written examination and oral interview.
The exercise is part of the routine career advancement process within the Nigerian Police Force and is carried out in collaboration with the Police Service Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the appointment, promotion, and discipline of senior police officers.
