By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
AFTER more than three decades of service, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Frank Mba, who oversaw the Training and Development portfolio, has retired from the Nigeria Police Force.
Mba departed the force on Friday, concluding a career spanning over 34 years.
He rose through the ranks to become one of the most recognisable figures in Nigerian policing, particularly noted for his work in public communications and institutional reform.
His retirement comes at a time of leadership transition within the force, following the departure of former Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and the subsequent appointment of Olatunji Disu as the new Inspector-General.
A Lagos native with roots in Enugu State, Mba joined the Nigeria Police Force as a cadet officer in 1992.
He trained at the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano, graduating as the best cadet of his set.
Alongside his policing career, he cultivated a strong academic background in law. Mba earned an LLB from the University of Lagos, attended the Nigerian Law School, and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002.
He later obtained a Master’s degree in Law with distinction from the University of Dundee in Scotland.
His steady ascent through the ranks saw him promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1999 and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in 2003.
He subsequently advanced to Superintendent of Police (SP) in 2008, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) in 2012, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in 2014.
Mba was elevated to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in 2018 before attaining the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) in December 2020.
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In March 2023, he was decorated as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), a promotion that solidified his position within the force’s upper command echelons.
His rise from Commissioner of Police to Deputy Inspector-General in a relatively short time marked one of the fastest progressions to that rank in the institution’s history.
Throughout his career, Mba held various operational, investigative, and administrative roles across different commands and departments.
He served as Area Commander in Ajah and Festac in Lagos State, coordinating policing operations and security management.
He later became Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, overseeing law enforcement activities across the state.
At Force Headquarters, Mba held strategic positions, including Commissioner of Police in charge of the Border Patrol Force, where he managed policing along Nigeria’s border corridors.
He also served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Panti, Lagos, a major investigative unit handling high-profile criminal cases.
Mba became widely known for his role as the public face of the force, serving on three separate occasions as the National Spokesman for the Nigeria Police.
His career also had an international dimension through peacekeeping and professional engagements. Between 2006 and 2007, he was a member of the Nigeria Police Contingent to the United Nations Mission in Liberia, participating in multinational peacekeeping operations. For his service, he was awarded the United Nations Medal.
Beyond operational duties, Mba completed numerous specialist training programmes aimed at enhancing his leadership and policing skills.
These included courses at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, United States, as well as leadership programmes at Harvard University and the University of Oxford.
His professional development also encompassed the Countering Violent Extremism and Police Leadership Course at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Roswell, New Mexico; the Strategic Leadership and Command Course at the Police Staff College in Jos; and the Crisis and Disaster Management Course at the Galilee International Management Institute in Israel.
Other programmes covered media management in crisis situations at Pan Atlantic University, Lagos; international crime issues in Washington, DC; general criminal investigation in Botswana; and global peace operations in Vicenza, Italy.
Mba also held affiliations with several professional bodies. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria (CILGPAN).
He is also a member of the FBI National Academy Associates Inc., amongst others.
In his farewell message, Mba expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the opportunity to serve 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.
He also acknowledged the role of the Nigerian public in supporting the police throughout his years of 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.
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