By Ekene Onwuliri (Police Affairs/Crime Reporter)
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has conducted screening on seven Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) of Police for immediate promotion to the next rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police.
The screening exercise which held in Abuja on Thursday was to select candidate officers to replace the current DIGs most of who have indicated willingness to retire from service following the appointment of the new acting Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Disu, a junior officer to most of the current DIGs, was chosen last week by the President to succeed the out-gone Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun.
The move to replace the serving DIGs is said to be part of a leadership transition within the top hierarchy of the Nigerian Police Force. But fillers from the Louis Edet Police Force Headquarters in Asokoro area of Abuja, indicates a growing disenchantment and feeling of uncertainty among the eight serving DIGs since the appointment of the new IGP, Tunji Disu. Their possible exit is being discussed by police officers in muffled tones.
As at Tuesday afternoon, however, when Nigerian NewsLeader Newspaper reporter visited the police headquarter on routine beat assignment, the atmosphere in the top floor offices of the DIGs was evident that they were on their way out of service despite the reported directive by President Bola Tinubu that they should stay, particularly those whose service years are still subsisting.
Nigerian NewsLeader Newspaper gathered that among the AIGs who presented themselves for the screening are one female and six male officers.
They include: AIG Meg Ochalla, AIG Umar Shehu Nadada, AIG Ishiaku Mohammed, AIG Zango Baba Ibrahim, AIG Kenechukwu Onwemelie, AIG Zacharia Fera Achinyan and AIG Mohammed Abdul Suleiman.
A Police Service Commission (PSC ) source told Nigerian NewsLeader Newspaper on Thursday evening that since eight positions existed in the DIG category for the Directorates of Operations (OPS), Finance and Administration, Logistics and Supply, Training and Development, Information and Communication Technology, Research and Planning, Force Intelligence Bureau (FBI) and Force Criminal and Investigative Department (FCID), another AIG candidate might be screened subsequently if all the current eight (8) DIGs resigns, retires or shooed out.
Currently, DIG Frank Mba, a former Force Police Public Relations Officer (FPPRO) heads the Directorate of Training and Development; DIG Bzigu Kwazhi is in charge of Operations; DIG Yahaya Abubakar heads Finance and Administration; DIG Adebola Hazmat mans the Logistics and Supply Directorate; DIG Dasuki Galadanchi is in charge of Force Intelligence Bureau (FBI); DIG Ari Mohammed Ali heads Force Criminal and Investigative Department (FCID); DIG Basil Idegwu is in charge of Research and Planning, while DIG Adebowale Williams heads the Information and Communication Technology Directorate of the force.
According to a statement by the Police Service Commission, the ongoing screening is a measure to "strengthen the force's management team which includes the eight Directorate DIGs, the Force Secretary and the Force PRO and headed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The imminent exit of the above serving eight Deputy Inspectors General of Police from the force headquarters and from service is actually the existing protocol when a new Inspector General of Police is appointed from a pool of subordinate rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG). The same tradition exists in the Army and in the para-military armed services in Nigeria.
Already, one of the serving DIG, Mr Frank Mba, has filed in his retirement notice. Mba, said to be a fine and brilliant officer, however thanked the nation and President Tinubu for the opportunity given to him to service the country in law enforcement capacity. NNL.
