The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has approved the appointment of Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Dr Nkechi Eze, as the pioneer Director of the newly created Directorate of Force Medical Services.

The announcement was contained in a statement signed on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, and made available to journalists in Abuja.

According to the statement, the appointment followed the recent upgrade of the Force Medical Section to a full-fledged Directorate — a major step aimed at institutionalising comprehensive and efficient healthcare services within the Nigeria Police Force.

AIG Eze, a distinguished dental surgeon and administrator with over 27 years of professional experience, hails from Agbudu in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. She obtained her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife, and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Benin.

Over the years, she has served in various police formations across Oyo, Ekiti, Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory, and Lagos, making remarkable contributions to the welfare and healthcare of police personnel.

Egbetokun congratulated AIG Eze on her new role and urged her to deploy her wealth of experience and administrative expertise to reposition the Directorate as a model of excellence in police healthcare delivery.

He stressed that establishing the Directorate represented a strategic investment in the well-being and productivity of police officers, adding that their health remained vital to the Force’s operational efficiency.

Recently, IGP Egbetokun declared that every promotion exercise conducted under his administration, including the recent accelerated promotion for some officers, followed due process, was transparent, merit-based, and in strict conformity with established standards.

IGP Egbetokun made this clarification in Abuja during the decoration ceremony of 19 newly promoted senior officers, including the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Mohammed Dan-Kwara; Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Nkechi Eze; and Force Medical Director, and Commissioner of Police, Nandel Gonwalk.

Speaking at the event, Egbetokun said recent attempts by “mischief-makers” to discredit the promotion process were unfounded and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Force.

Egbetokun emphasised that the Force would not be distracted by falsehoods or propaganda. Every promotion exercise under this administration has followed due process — transparent, merit-based, and in strict conformity with established standards,” he said.

The IGP congratulated the newly promoted officers, describing their elevation as a testament to excellence, integrity, and dedication to service.

Egbetokun urged the officers to see their promotion as a call to greater responsibility, leadership, and accountability.