Frank Mba, Senior DIGs to Exit Police Service After Disu’s Appointment

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Tunji Disu, an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), as Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) following the resignation of Kayode Egbetokun, a move that is expected to trigger the retirement of several senior Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIGs), including Frank Mba.

Egbetokun tendered his resignation on Tuesday, citing urgent family matters. Although he was appointed in June 2023 for a four-year tenure expected to run until June 2027 under the amended Police Act, the presidency confirmed that President Tinubu accepted the resignation and commended him for his service to the nation. The confirmation was contained in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Before his appointment, Disu served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, one of the most strategic investigative units of the Nigeria Police Force.

Why Senior DIGs Are Expected to Retire

While not expressly mandated by law, it is a long-standing convention within the Nigeria Police Force that officers senior to a newly appointed IGP retire from service. The practice is rooted in the force’s strong emphasis on seniority, hierarchy, discipline and institutional stability, ensuring that no senior officer remains subordinate to a junior appointee.

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With Disu’s elevation from AIG to Acting IGP, multiple DIGs who are senior to him by appointment and service record are therefore expected to formally disengage from service to allow him function as the substantive head of the police.

DIGs Likely to Be Affected

Frank Mba
Frank Mba is one of the most recognisable senior officers in the Nigeria Police Force. He joined the force as an Inspector, rose steadily through the ranks and was promoted to Assistant Inspector-General of Police in March 2023. Over his career, he served as Force Public Relations Officer three times and represented Nigeria on the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) between 2006 and 2007, earning a UN Medal. His seniority places him among those expected to retire following Disu’s appointment.

Mohammed Gumel
Mohammed Gumel assumed office in late December 2025 as Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Intelligence Department (FID) at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. Widely regarded as a strong advocate of community policing, Gumel was named Community Policing Advocate of the Year (2024). He is a certified member of the Police Staff College (PSC) and a Fellow of the Institute of Professional Managers and Administrators (FIPMA).

Adebola Hamzat
DIG Adebola Hamzat currently heads the Department of Logistics and Supply, overseeing procurement, infrastructure, housing, construction and logistics across the police force. He was promoted to DIG in March 2025. Before then, he served as AIG, Zone 16 (Yenagoa) covering Bayelsa and Rivers States, and previously commanded the Counter-Terrorism Unit. He also served as Commissioner of Police in Oyo State.

Yahaya Abubakar
Yahaya Abubakar is a senior DIG who formerly headed the Department of Finance and Administration at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. The department controls budgeting, financial management, human resources and administrative processes. He was appointed following his promotion by the Police Service Commission in 2024 and has previously served as Zone Commander and AIG.

Bzigu Kwazhi
As DIG in charge of the Department of Operations, Bzigu Kwazhi plays a critical role in tactical deployments, joint security operations, election security and crisis response nationwide. He has been involved in high-level security operations in states such as Adamawa and Plateau, and previously served as Commissioner of Police in Osun and Akwa Ibom States.

Adebowale Williams
Adebowale Williams is the DIG overseeing the Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the Force Headquarters. He is responsible for digital policing systems, communications infrastructure and technology-driven reforms, a key pillar of ongoing police modernisation efforts.

Idris Abubakar
DIG Idris Abubakar, from Garko Local Government Area of Kano State, joined the police as a cadet ASP in 1992. He holds advanced academic qualifications, including a PhD in Psychology from the University of Abuja, alongside degrees from Usmanu Danfodiyo University. His background combines policing with academic expertise in education and psychology.

Basil Idegwu
Promoted in March 2025, DIG Basil Idegwu heads the Department of Research and Planning at the Force Headquarters. He holds a PhD in Security and Peace Studies and is responsible for policy development, strategic planning and institutional reforms aimed at improving the operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force.

Implications of the Appointment

The expected retirements will mark a major leadership transition within the Nigeria Police Force, opening space for new promotions and restructuring at the top echelon. Security analysts say the development places significant responsibility on Acting IGP Disu to stabilise leadership, sustain operational momentum and address Nigeria’s persistent security challenges, including banditry, kidnapping and violent crime.

Frank Mba, Senior DIGs to Exit Police Service After Disu’s Appointment

Suspected Bandits Use IED to Blow Up Cement Trailer in Zamfara

An improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by suspected bandits has destroyed a cement-laden trailer along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara, heightening fears over the growing use of explosives by criminal groups in north-west Nigeria.

The IED explosion occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at Ungwar Mai Chida, when the trailer, travelling from Kaduna to Sokoto, reportedly ran over an explosive device concealed on the road. Eyewitnesses said the blast was loud and forceful, blowing off the trailer, scattering debris across the highway and causing a major traffic gridlock on the busy route linking Gusau and Funtua.

Although no lives were lost, the driver reportedly sustained injuries and was rescued alive, while commuters and residents around the area were thrown into panic. Traffic movement was temporarily halted as security operatives worked to secure the scene and clear the road.

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Residents disclosed that the incident occurred only hours after a joint operation by security agencies reopened the Kucheri–Danjibga–Keta road in Tsafe Local Government Area, which had remained closed for more than a month due to earlier threats of IED attacks. The timing of the explosion has raised concerns that armed groups may be replanting explosives shortly after security clearances.

Confirming the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state said combined tactical teams of the Nigeria Police Force and the military, including Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units, had earlier detected and safely detonated several IEDs along the same axis before the road was reopened. He noted that clearance and surveillance operations have now been intensified to prevent further attacks and ensure the safety of commuters.

Security agencies have urged motorists to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary travel, and report suspicious objects or movements along highways, as investigations into the incident continue.

Zamfara State remains one of the flashpoints of banditry and rural insecurity in north-west Nigeria. While attacks in the past largely involved shootings, kidnappings and cattle rustling, security sources say the increasing deployment of IEDs signals a dangerous escalation that poses serious risks to road users, commercial transporters and security personnel.

Suspected Bandits Use IED to Blow Up Cement Trailer in Zamfara

How Nigerian Ex-Naval Officer Allegedly Tricked Into Russia’s Army via Fake Job Offer

A retired officer of the Nigerian Navy, Adamu Abubakar, was allegedly lured with a fake dollar-paying security job and later coerced into Russia’s military, where he was deployed toward the Ukraine war and eventually required psychiatric care, according to accounts from his family, legal representatives and medical records.

The embassy received the letter on January 19

In November 2025, Abubakar completed administrative paperwork at the Russian Embassy in Nigeria after a Lagos-based agent assured him of a civilian security job in Russia with a promised $2,000 monthly salary. His wife, Hadiza Abubakar, said he followed due process, including biometric capture and visa issuance, believing his tourist visa would later be converted to a work permit upon arrival.

A copy of Adamu Abubakar’s Nigerian passport

However, upon landing in Russia, Abubakar’s experience reportedly departed sharply from standard international travel procedures. Instead of passing through normal immigration checks, he was allegedly diverted from official screening, had his travel documents seized, and was transported with other foreign nationals in a guarded bus to an undisclosed location. According to accounts relayed by his wife, the group was pressured to sign documents written entirely in Russian, without interpretation or explanation. Those documents later turned out to be military enlistment papers.

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Available evidence shows that Abubakar was enlisted as a contract soldier on November 10, 2025, assigned a military rank, and moved between several locations connected to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The conflict, now in its fourth year, began after tensions escalated over Ukraine’s growing alignment with NATO. Despite repeated assurances, Abubakar’s family says the promised monthly salary was never paid.

By early February 2026, Abubakar’s mental state reportedly deteriorated significantly. Medical documents from Russian military facilities cited acute anxiety and stress-related psychiatric conditions, recommending psychiatric hospitalisation and close observation to assess his suitability for further military duties. He was later evacuated to a medical facility in Bryansk, a region that has been repeatedly affected by the conflict. Since then, communication with his family in Nigeria has been restricted and irregular, worsening their emotional distress.

Adamu Abubakar

Abubakar’s ordeal reflects a wider pattern involving African nationals, many of whom are allegedly recruited through deceptive job offers promising security work, education, or residency opportunities, only to be redirected into military roles after arrival in Russia. Investigations and official statements from Ukraine have confirmed that foreign nationals, including Nigerians, have been killed while fighting for Russia, while others remain trapped in combat zones with little chance of safe return.

Despite documentary evidence showing Abubakar’s visa issuance and embassy processing, Russian officials in Nigeria have denied any knowledge of him. This claim has been challenged by his legal representatives, who argue that the circumstances point to non-disclosure, coercion and possible abduction. A formal request has been submitted to Russian authorities seeking his urgent repatriation to Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have since issued public warnings urging citizens to avoid all forms of foreign military recruitment, stressing that participation in overseas conflicts could violate Nigerian and international law. The Nigerian Navy has confirmed that Abubakar served for over a decade before retiring and was not on active service at the time of his departure from Nigeria.

Back in Kano State, Abubakar’s wife and children remain deeply traumatised, appealing for urgent diplomatic intervention to secure his safe return. As official inquiries continue, the case has renewed concerns over overseas job scams, weak regulation of recruitment agents, and the growing risks Nigerians face when foreign employment offers intersect with international armed conflicts.

How Nigerian Ex-Naval Officer Allegedly Tricked Into Russia’s Army via Fake Job Offer