The Police Service Commission (PSC) has elevated seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) to the rank of Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), a move aimed at strengthening the leadership cadre of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

According to the PSC, the promotions were based on merit, seniority, service records, and performance in written examinations and oral interviews conducted at the commission’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.

The newly elevated DIGs are Zachariah Fera Achinyan, (formerly AIG Zone 4, Makurdi), Zango Ibrahim Baba (AIG Department of Logistics and Supply), Isyaku Mohammed (AIG Armament, Force Headquarters, Abuja), Margaret Agebe Ochalla (AIG FCID Annex, Lagos), Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman, (AIG Police Accounts and Budget, Force Headquarters), Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, (AIG Zone 15, Maiduguri), and Umar Shehu Nadada, (AIG Zone 14, Katsina).

The promotions follow the recent elevation of DIG Fayoade Adegoke to the substantive rank of DIG and are intended to fill vacancies left by the retirement of eight DIGs previously occupying these strategic offices.

Congratulating the officers, PSC Chairman, DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (rtd), urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, prioritise national security, and maintain a productive relationship with the commission to support the continued development of the Force.

Members of the PSC Board, who participated as examiners, included Hon. Justice Paul Adamu Galumje (rtd), Dr Taiwo Lakanu, DIG (rtd) and Chairman of the PSC Standing Committee on Police Matters, and Chief Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary to the commission.

In a related development, the PSC and the NPF officially co-opted the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) as key partners in screening 50,000 constables, the largest single recruitment drive in the Force’s history.

The collaboration was formalised during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, ahead of the physical and credentials screening stage scheduled to commence on Monday, March 9, 2026, across all 36 states and the FCT.

Addressing the meeting, DIG Argungu praised the PCRC for their commitment to national security and tasked state chairmen with verifying applicants’ character and indigene status to prevent infiltration by individuals with questionable backgrounds.

Responding on behalf of the PCRC National Chairman, Deputy National President (North), Ambassador Wada Sadiq, pledged full support for the exercise, promising vigilance and dedication to selecting credible Nigerians for the Force.

The meeting saw robust participation from PCRC state chairmen, zonal coordinators, and key PSC Board members, reinforcing a collaborative approach to ensuring transparency and integrity in the recruitment process. (THISDAY)