Many Nigerians have continued to reflect on the distinguished career of Mr. Frank Mba following his retirement from the Nigeria Police Force in 2026.
His appointment as Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) by the Police Service Commission (PSC) in June 2023 had earlier been widely celebrated across the country.
The appointment of the former three-time Force Public Relations Officer was announced on Friday, June 16, 2023. A consummate, refined and vastly experienced officer, Frank Mba served the Nigeria Police Force for over three decades, working across key departments in investigations, operations, administration and public relations/communications.
At the time of his appointment, the spokesman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, explained that Mba was the most senior police officer from the South-East zone of the country. According to Ani, “DIG Mba represented the South-East zone in the Police Executive Management Committee, replacing the retired DIG John Amadi who previously held the position.”
During his tenure as DIG, Mba headed the Department of Research and Planning of the Nigeria Police Force until his retirement in 2026.
Below are 10 things to know about the retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police and his remarkable career.
Frank Mba was born in Lagos State and joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992 as a cadet officer. He trained at the Nigeria Police Academy, Kano, where he graduated as the best cadet. From there, he began a distinguished policing career, steadily rising through the ranks to become a Deputy Inspector-General of Police before retiring in 2026.
He spent seven years as an Inspector before being promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in 1999 and later to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in 2003. Through dedication and hard work, Mba was promoted to Superintendent of Police (SP) in 2008, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) in 2012, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in 2014, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in 2018. He rose to the rank of Commissioner of Police (CP) in December 2020 and was later decorated as Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in March 2023 before becoming a Deputy Inspector-General later that year.
He is an alumnus of the University of Lagos, Akoka, where he obtained an LLB degree in Law. He attended the Nigerian Law School in Abuja and won the Justice Kayode Eso Award for Best Student in Professional Ethics. He was subsequently called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002. He also earned a Master’s degree in Law (LLM) with Distinction from the University of Dundee, Scotland, in 2005. Mba is equally an alumnus of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Quantico, USA.
In addition, he holds a Certificate in National and International Security from Harvard University, USA. He is also a Member of the National Institute (mni), having successfully completed the Senior Executive Course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos in 2022. He further attended the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the Oxford Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
A passionate and versatile officer, he served in several challenging police units and departments across Nigeria, covering investigations, operations, administration and public relations. These included serving as Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, and Commissioner of Police in charge of the Border Patrol Force at the Department of Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
A three-time National Spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force and recipient of the United Nations Medal, he was part of the Nigerian Police contingent to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Liberia between 2006 and 2007.
Mba also served as Area Commander of Area ‘J’ Ajah and Area ‘E’ Festac Town in Lagos State. He worked as Assistant Commissioner of Police at the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Panti-Yaba, Lagos. Over the years, he served in various capacities at Zone XI Police Headquarters, Oshogbo; State CID, Umuahia; Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi-Lagos; Force CID Annex, Kaduna; among others.
Throughout his career, he attended numerous high-level law enforcement trainings within and outside Nigeria. These include the Countering Violent Extremism and Police Leadership Course at the International Law Enforcement Academy, Roswell, New Mexico, USA (2018); Strategic Leadership and Command Course at the Police Staff College, Jos (2017); Crisis and Disaster Management Course at the Galilee International Management Institute, Israel (2013); Managing the Media in Crisis Situations at the School of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University, Lagos (2013); the International Visitors Leadership Program on International Crime Issues in Washington DC (2010); and the General Criminal Investigation Course at the International Law Enforcement Academy, Botswana (2009), among others.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration of Nigeria (CILGPAN); Fellow of the Chartered Examiners of Criminology and Forensic Investigation Inc., USA (FCECFI); and a member of several professional bodies including the International Institute of Certified Forensic Investigation Professionals (CFIP), FBI National Academy Associates Inc. (FBINAA), and the International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS).
Before his appointment as Deputy Inspector-General of Police, he served as Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Lagos Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi-Lagos.
Following more than three decades of service marked by professionalism, leadership and excellence, Frank Mba retired from the Nigeria Police Force in 2026, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most respected and accomplished officers of his generation.
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