PSC Promotes 1 to DIG, 7 to AIG in Major Nigeria Police Shake-Up

Nigeria’s Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced a sweeping round of promotions for senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), elevating 1 Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) to Deputy Inspector-General (DIG), 7 Commissioners of Police (CP) to AIG, 13 Deputy Commissioners (DCP) to CP, and hundreds more across lower ranks. The approvals followed rigorous written exams and oral interviews concluded on December 17, 2025, at the PSC’s Jabi, Abuja headquarters, under the chairmanship of DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (rtd), mni.

This latest promotion exercise underscores the PSC’s ongoing push for meritocracy and professionalism amid Nigeria’s security challenges, including banditry, insurgency, and urban crime. Recent online reports from PSC’s official website (psc.gov.ng) and news outlets like Vanguard and Punch confirm the promotions align with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s reforms, emphasizing transparency since the PSC regained full control over police promotions in 2023 after legal battles with the Inspector-General of Police. The exercise involved over 1,000 candidates, with successful officers selected based on performance, seniority, and federal character principles.

Key Promotions at the Top

• To Deputy Inspector-General (DIG): AIG Mohammed Usman Gumel, previously AIG in charge of the Community Policing Project (CPP) Department and Research/Planning at NPF Headquarters, Abuja. Gumel’s elevation fills a critical leadership gap, building on his expertise in community engagement amid rising public distrust in policing.
• To Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) – 7 Officers:
  CP Ihebom Chukwuma (Force CID, Abuja); CP Maxwell Olatokunbo (K9 Unit); CP Abaniwonda Olufemi (Delta State); CP Alonyenu Francis Idu (Bayelsa State); CP Lawal B. Ayodeji (AHTU, FCID Annex, Lagos); CP Agene Emmanuel (FCID, Kaduna); CP Vungmoh S.M Kwaimo (Railway Command). These promotions strengthen specialized units like anti-human trafficking and forensics.

Mid-Level Advancements

• To Commissioner of Police (CP) – 13 Officers: Including DCP Babalola Ayodeji Johnson (NPF NCCC); DCP Ali Umar Fage (DFA, Port Authority, Lagos); DCP Cyril Uche Obiozo (Admin, Cross River); DCP Adepegba K. Adetoye (Admin, Edo); DCP Tabitha Bako (Anti-Human Trafficking, FCID); and others from Bayelsa, Akure Zone 17, Borno, Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Lagos FID, and Staff College.
• To Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) – 30 Officers: Notable among them are ACP Muhammad Nuhu Diggi (Dala, Kano); ACP Udu Moses Ogechi PhD (59 PMF, Gombe); ACP Afolaogun Toyin (16 PMF, Abeokuta); ACP Abdullahi Dahiru; ACP Hassan S. Aliyu (13 PMF); and representatives from FCT X-Squad, Ibadan, Ilesha, Uyo, FHQ, Ado-Ekiti, and Osogbo.

Lower ranks saw even broader elevations: 51 Chief Superintendents (CSPs) to Assistant Commissioners (ACPs), including CSP Davidson Okechukwu Ndubueze (DPO Okija), CSP Muktari Bello (Delta), and CSP Obediah Okezie (DPO World Bank, Umuahia); 542 Superintendents (SPs) to CSPs, such as SP Ekere Ferdinand (CTU Base 1, Abuja), SP Anthony Elijah Kwada (Provost, IGP-STFPIB), and SP Lucas Yohanna (former ADC to Adamawa Governor); 119 Deputy Superintendents (DSPs) to SPs, featuring DSP Ahmed Abdulmumuni (ADC to Imo Governor) and DSP Simon Michael (22 PMF, Ikeja); and 12 Assistant Superintendents (ASPs) to DSPs.

PSC Chairman’s Charge and Broader Context

In his address, DIG Argungu congratulated the officers and charged them to “brace up” for heightened responsibilities, prioritizing effective policing, life/property protection, and law enforcement. “Promotion brings higher expectations—rededicate yourselves to national service,” he stated, reaffirming PSC’s commitment to regular, merit-driven promotions per global best practices.

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These promotions come at a pivotal time. Online sources, including Daily Trust and Channels TV reports from December 18, 2025, highlight PSC’s role in addressing NPF’s 300,000-officer shortfall and low morale, following similar exercises in 2024 that promoted over 10,000 officers. Critics, per Premium Times analysis, note persistent issues like funding gaps, but PSC insists these steps boost operational readiness against threats in the North-East, South-South, and urban centers.

The full list is available on psc.gov.ng, with postings to follow soon from NPF leadership.