Cynthia Ezegwu
The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Friday continued its compulsory promotion examinations for senior police officers, stressing that the exercise is critical to restoring credibility, enhancing professionalism, and improving the public image of the Nigeria Police Force.
Head of Press and Public Relations at the PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed that 630 Deputy Superintendents of Police sat for the examination for elevation to the rank of Superintendent at the Commission’s Parry Osayande Auditorium, Corporate Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja.
Ani explained that the initiative forms part of the Commission’s effort to make promotions merit-based and transparent.
Declaring the examinations open, Justice Paul Adamu Galumje, retired Supreme Court Justice and the Commission’s representative for the Judiciary, urged officers to embrace continuous learning and capacity development for effective service delivery.
DIG Taiwo Lakanu (retd.), chairman of the Commission’s Standing Committee on Police Matters, described the exams as “timely and necessary,” adding that they would help salvage the image of the Force.
“There is a systemic rot in the Force, and that is why we are not much regarded any longer. Police is the only security agency where there is no promotion examination. We have decided to do exams; if you fail, you fail. We will continue to do the exams, and it will help the image of the Police Institution in the eyes of the public,” Lakanu said.
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He also warned officers against offering bribes to PSC staff, insisting that anyone caught would be expelled from the exercise.
“The Police of our dream should be the Police that can work with minimal supervision and can deliver without undue influence,” Lakanu added.
The Commission stated that the examinations and interviews would continue next week for officers in the Commissioner’s cadre, with a plenary session expected later in the month. It noted that the measures are part of a broader strategy to professionalise the Force, strengthen accountability, and restore public trust.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has disowned a viral public notice circulating on social media announcing a purported recruitment exercise scheduled to begin on September 22, 2025. Police authorities described the document, titled “Nigeria Police Force Recruitment Exercise 2025”, as fraudulent.