By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the promotion of 12 Commissioners of Police to the rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIG), as part of its latest promotion exercise to strengthen leadership within the Nigeria Police Force.
Also promoted were 16 Deputy Commissioners who were elevated to full Commissioners, and 27 Assistant Commissioners who moved up to the rank of Deputy Commissioners. One Assistant Commissioner who was absent from the exercise was not promoted.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Head of Press and Public Relations Unit, Ikechukwu Ani.
The Commission also confirmed the promotion of 145 Chief Superintendents of Police to Assistant Commissioners, including general duty officers and specialists drawn from departments such as Airwing, medical services, pharmacy, laboratory science, physiotherapy, and nursing. Others promoted under this category include priests, aircraft engineers, and Airwing personnel.
Additionally, 29 Superintendents, all specialists in fields such as Info-Tech, Works, and Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), were promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendents. Another 38 Deputy Superintendents (Specialists) were elevated to the rank of Superintendents.
The 12 Commissioners promoted to AIG include Johnson Oluwole Adenola, current Commissioner of Police in Oyo State and former Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector General of Police; Ako Benedict Gabriel, current CP Anti-Fraud; and Ahmadu Tijani Abdullahi, CP Jigawa State. Others are Emmanuel Adegbola Aina, acting AIG Intelligence; Omolara Ibidun Oloruntola; Hassan Abdu Yababet, CP Police College Jos; Bretet Emmanuel Simon, CP Taraba; Enyinnaya Inonachi Adiogu, CP FCID Gombe; Aminu Baba Raji, CP Special Unit FCID Alagbon; Mohammed Mu’azu Usman, CP Eastern Ports Port Harcourt; Festus Chinedu Oko, acting AIG DLS Department; and Ronke Nurat Okunade, Special Fraud Unit FCID Annex, Lagos.
Among the 16 Deputy Commissioners promoted to full Commissioners are Uduak Otu Ita, Sheikh Mohammed Danko, Charles Ezekwesiri Dike, Nnana Oji Ama (DC Intelligence FCID), Gabriel Onyilo Eliagwu, Abiola Reuben Olutunde, Yakubu Useni Dankaro, Michael Adegoroye Falade, Aina Adesola, and Umar Ahmed Chuso. Others include Emefile Tony Osifo, Innocent Ilogbunam Anagbado, Musa Mohammed Sani, Victor Avwerosuo Erivwode (DC SEB FCID), Omoikhudu Philip, and Sylvester Edogbanya.
The 27 Assistant Commissioners promoted to Deputy Commissioners include Shehu Idris; David Adio Alalada (acting DCP Admin, Enugu State Command); Dalhatu Basher; Hamzat Tambai; Abdulkarim Nuhu (Area Commander, Port Harcourt); Olufemi Akinwale Akinola; Sani Fudaiku Kura; Yakubu Isah; Isa Abubakar Adamu; Sunday Omonijo; and Sunday Akinlolu Okunola.
Others promoted include Abimbola Shafkat Abdulraheem, Adekunle Murisiku Tokosi, Ibrahim Sumaila Musa, Mohammed Jega Musa, Musa Jibril, Ali Isa Gumel, Dankal Umar Bello, Suleiman Ladi Abdullahi, Suleiman Sade, Ahmed Ataka Tanko, Shehu Aliyu, ACP Ndidiamaka Alifi Oguamalam (Police College Ikeja), Magawata Mode, Adedeji Adeniyi, Bello Zaurah Tukur, Mohammed Muntari Mati, and Mohammed Ajose.
Promoted Chief Superintendents who moved up to Assistant Commissioners include Zubairu Maina, Olufikayo Abimbola Fawole, Stephen Olusola Olatise, Buhari Abdullahi, and Akaniyere Etuk. Others are Lateef Jaiyeola (CSP Admin, Force Education), Agbemoroti Clement Oloruntoba (acting ACP Admin, Zone 17 Akure), Magaji Kabomo Mohammed (IGP Monitoring Unit), Chinedum Aniagbaso (ICT, Force Headquarters), Abdullahi Mohammed Deba (Gender Unit, Force Intelligence), Mohammed Sani Idris (Commander, SPU Base 7 Abuja), Barau Dalhatu Bafarawa (FCID), and Ugwuodo Chika (Homicide Section, FCID Abuja).
Also promoted were Adeoye Benjamin Oyekunle (acting ACP X Squad, Akure), Sani El-Mustapha (CRU, Force Headquarters), Sani Mohammed Babainna, and Olabode Olawole of the Airwing Unit.
All officers involved in the promotion exercise underwent examinations and interviews conducted by the Commission.
DIG Taiwo Lakanu (rtd.), fdc, who chairs the Commission’s Standing Committee on Police Matters, coordinated the exercise and presented the report to the Commission for approval.
DIG Argungu stressed the importance of promotion exams as a permanent policy, stating, “The promotion exams have come to stay in line with global best practices and advised the Officers to sit up or to be showed the way out.”
The Chairman of the Commission congratulated the newly promoted officers and urged them to recommit themselves to national service, saying, “The Police Force of the 21st Century must be good enough to hold their own any where and ensure that Nigeria is freed from criminals and criminality.”