After more than three decades of service, Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Training and Development at the Force Headquarters, Frank Mba, has voluntarily retired from the Nigeria Police Force.
Mba’s exit comes amid leadership changes within the police hierarchy following the retirement of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the appointment of Olatunji Rilwan Disu as the new Inspector-General of Police.
In a related development, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has invited seven Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) for promotion interviews as part of the process to fill vacancies in the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG).
The commission disclosed that the officers will appear before it on Friday for screening ahead of their possible elevation to the Force Management Team that will work with the new Inspector-General.
The AIGs invited for the promotion exercise are Margareth Ochalla, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, Ishiaku Mohammed, Zacharia Fera Achinyan, Zango Ibrahim Baba, Mohammed Abdul Sulaiman and Umar Shehu Nadada.
Distinguished career
Before his retirement, Mba served in several strategic positions within the police force and built a reputation as one of its most prominent spokespersons.
He joined the Nigeria Police Force in May 1992 as a cadet officer and graduated as the best cadet in academics from the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano.
A member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mba earned a law degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002 after attending the Nigerian Law School in Abuja. He later obtained a Master’s degree in Law with distinction from the University of Dundee in Scotland.
During his career, he also participated in several international professional programmes, including training at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, United States, as well as leadership courses at Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
Mba also represented Nigeria in international assignments, notably serving in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia between 2006 and 2007.
Over the years, he held several key operational and administrative roles, including Area Commander in Ajah and Festac in Lagos, Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Commissioner of Police in charge of the Border Patrol Force at Force Headquarters, and Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Panti, Lagos.
Farewell message
In his farewell message, Mba expressed appreciation to Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve the country during his administration.
“I am deeply grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the privilege of serving our great nation during his administration. The confidence reposed in the Nigeria Police leadership and the support given to the institution during this period have been invaluable,” he said.
“It has been a great honour for me to contribute my quota to the security and stability of our country.”
He also expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support throughout his years in service.
“I want to sincerely thank the good people of Nigeria for the trust, encouragement and cooperation they extended to me throughout my 34 years in service.
“Policing is a difficult but noble profession, and whatever success we recorded was made possible by the understanding and support of Nigerians. I leave the service with a heart full of gratitude and pride for having had the opportunity to serve,” Mba said.
