The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion of senior police officers across the country, including the elevation of twelve Commissioners of Police to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs), as part of ongoing reforms to professionalize the Nigeria Police Force through merit-based assessments and examinations.
In a statement issued on Monday, by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations, the Commission confirmed the promotions after the successful conduct of examinations and interviews.
The move also saw the elevation of sixteen Deputy Commissioners of Police to substantive Commissioners, while twenty-seven Assistant Commissioners were promoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioners.
One Assistant Commissioner was absent from the process and, as a result, was not promoted.
Also approved were the promotions of one hundred and forty-five Chief Superintendents of Police to Assistant Commissioners.
According to the statement, these included officers from general duty as well as specialists in units such as the Airwing, medical corps including doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, and physiotherapists, as well as chaplains and aircraft engineers.
“Twenty-nine Superintendents of Police, all drawn from specialist fields like Information Technology, Works, and Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), were promoted to Chief Superintendents, while thirty-eight Deputy Superintendents (Specialists) were moved up to the rank of Superintendent”, the statement reads.
Among the newly promoted AIGs is Johnson Oluwole Adenola, former CP of Oyo State and ex-Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police. Others include Ako Benedict Gabriel of the Anti-Fraud Unit, Ahmadu Tijani Abdullahi from Jigawa State Command, Emmanuel Adegbola Aina, currently acting AIG in Force Intelligence, Omolara Ibidun Oloruntola, and Hassan Abdu Yababet of Police College Jos.
Also promoted were Emmanuel Simon of Taraba Command, Enyinnaya Adiogu of the FCID Zonal Command in Gombe, Aminu Baba Raji of the Special Unit FCID Alagbon, Mohammed Mu’azu Usman of Eastern Ports Command Port Harcourt, Festus Chinedu Oko of the DLS Department, Force Headquarters, and Ronke Nurat Okunade of the Special Fraud Unit FCID Annex, Lagos.
Promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police are officers such as Uduak Otu Ita, Sheikh Mohammed Danko, Charles Ezekwesiri Dike, Nnana Oji Ama from the Intelligence FCID, and Gabriel Onyilo Eliagwu. Others include Abiola Reuben Olutunde, Yakubu Useni Dankaro, Michael Adegoroye Falade, Aina Adesola, and Umar Ahmed Chuso, alongside Emefile Tony Osifo, Innocent Ilogbunam Anagbado, Musa Mohammed Sani, Victor Avwerosuo Erivwode of the SEB FCID, Omoikhudu Philip, and Sylvester Edogbanya.
The list of those promoted to Deputy Commissioner includes Shehu Idris, David Adio Alalada who currently serves as acting DCP Admin in Enugu, Dalhatu Basher, Hamzat Tambai, and Abdulkarim Nuhu, the Area Commander in Port Harcourt.
Also promoted were Olufemi Akinwale Akinola, Sani Fudaiku Kura, Yakubu Isah, Isa Abubakar Adamu, Sunday Omonijo, Sunday Akinlolu Okunola, Abimbola Shafkat Abdulraheem, Adekunle Murisiku Tokosi, Ibrahim Sumaila Musa, Mohammed Jega Musa, Musa Jibril, Ali Isa Gumel, Dankal Umar Bello, Suleiman Ladi Abdullahi, Suleiman Sade, Ahmed Ataka Tanko, and Shehu Aliyu.
Others on the list include Ndidiamaka Alifi Oguamalam of Police College Ikeja, Magawata Mode, Adedeji Adeniyi, Bello Zaurah Tukur, Mohammed Muntari Mati, and Mohammed Ajose.
Among the Chief Superintendents who advanced to the rank of Assistant Commissioner are Zubairu Maina, Olufikayo Abimbola Fawole, Stephen Olusola Olatise, Buhari Abdullahi, and Akaniyere Etuk. Lateef Jaiyeola, CSP Admin at Force Education, Agbemoroti Clement Oloruntoba, a former DPO in Osun State, Magaji Kabomo Mohammed of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Chinedum Aniagbaso of ICT at Force Headquarters, Abdullahi Mohammed Deba from the Gender Unit of Force Intelligence, Mohammed Sani Idris of SPU BASE 7 Abuja, Barau Dalhatu Bafarawa of the FCID, and Ugwuodo Chika of the Homicide Section at FCID Abuja were also promoted.
The Commission emphasized that all successful officers went through structured examinations and interviews. These were coordinated by retired Deputy Inspector General Taiwo Lakanu, who chairs the Commission’s Standing Committee on Police Matters. His committee presented the report which was subsequently approved by the full Commission at plenary.
Hashimu Argungu, Chairman of the Commission, noted that the promotion examinations had become a permanent feature of the Commission’s process and aligned with international best practices. He urged officers to take the process seriously or risk being left behind.
He congratulated the promoted officers and emphasized the need for a professional and competent police force, one capable of combating crime effectively and upholding public trust.
He charged the officers to rededicate themselves to the nation and ensure that their new ranks reflect positively in their performance and commitment to duty.