Aggrieved ASPs protest alleged promotion of juniors above Seniors in Police Force

By Paul Iyoghojie

A group of senior police officers have raised alarm over what they described as irregularities in the ongoing promotion exercise within the Nigeria Police Force.

The affected officers, all of the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), claimed they were promoted in 2020 and confirmed in 2022 but have been sidelined in the current promotion of ASPs to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

Speaking under strict anonymity, some of the officers told PM NEWS that they were shocked to discover that junior colleagues, who joined the Force in 1993 and were only promoted to ASP between 2022 and 2023, were being elevated to DSP ahead of those who enlisted in 1991 and have already spent five years as ASPs.

The officers alleged that specific junior colleagues, identified by AP numbers 158769, 158770, and 189284, had been promoted over their seniors, despite the long-standing principle of seniority in the Force.

“We strongly believe that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), DIG Hashimu Agungu (Rtd), are not yet aware of this anomaly. That is why we are passionately appealing to them to review the enlistment and promotion records to correct this imbalance,” one aggrieved officer said.

He added: “We appreciate the IGP and the PSC Chairman for the reforms and seamless promotion processes introduced in recent times, but it would be unfair to see senior ASPs saluting their juniors who were erroneously promoted above them due to clerical or administrative errors. We have served diligently on this rank for five years and deserve fair treatment.”

The officers are therefore urging the police authorities to urgently address the alleged discrepancies to restore confidence and maintain discipline within the Force.