In a significant move, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the appointment of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Yahaya Sahabo Abubakar as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police.
Prior to this appointment, Sahabo served as the AIG in charge of Zone 14, Katsina.
Sahabo will now represent the North East Geopolitical Zone in the Police Management Team, taking over from DIG Habu Sani, who recently retired from his position at the DIG Force Intelligence Bureau.
Additionally, the PSC has sanctioned the promotion of 122 other senior police officers.
This includes the elevation of ten Commissioners of Police to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General (AIG), fifteen Deputy Commissioners of Police to substantive Commissioners, and thirty-six Assistant Commissioners of Police to Deputy Commissioners. Sixty-one Chief Superintendents of Police have also been promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioners of Police.
These decisions were made during an extraordinary management meeting of the commission on Thursday, June 6, 2024, chaired by Solomon Arase, a retired Inspector General of Police.
The appointments were confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by Ikechukwu Ani, the force’s Head of Press and Public Relations.
“The 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police, 10 Commissioners, and AIG Abubakar appeared before the Commission in session for the compulsory interactive promotion interview, which is one of the requirements for their promotion to the next rank,” the statement noted.
At the interactive sessions, Chairman Arase emphasized the necessity of charting out effective strategies for policing in the context of modern technological advancements.
“In the emerging dynamic and ubiquity of crime and criminality within the revolution in information and communication technology, charting out pathways for effective policing and internal security management would have to necessarily orient from informed crafting and employment of an applicable mix of strategies, standard operating procedures, and tactics by the police, other law enforcement, and regulatory agencies of the state, mainstreaming a knowledge-driven police force staffed by a mentally mobile workforce refined for optimum service delivery,” he said.
Arase stressed the importance of dedicated service in safeguarding lives and property and preventing and controlling criminal activities throughout Nigeria.
He assured that the commission is committed to ensuring that promotions are conducted consistently and predictably.
The newly promoted Commissioners of Police to AIGs include Ahmed Ammani, Mohammed Dankwara Adamu, Gumel Mohammed Usaini, Hamzat Adebola Ayinde, Okuoma Idegwu Basil, Achinyan Zachary’s Fera, Baba Zango Ibrahim, Mohammed Isyaku, and Margaret Agebe Ochalla.
Deputy Commissioners of Police promoted to Commissioners include Bassey Samuel Ewah, Osagie John Agans-Irabor, Edem Ita Selong, and Monday Agbonika, among others.
The list of promoted officers has been forwarded to the Inspector General of Police for implementation and necessary action.
