Strike: Police Promote 21,039 Junior Officers After Five Years

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali-Baba has approved the promotion of 21,039 junior police officers who were last promoted in 2017.

Their promotion came weeks after junior officers threatened strike action on the ground of poor welfare, lack of the implementation of an increased salary, and waning working kits among others.

In a statement by the Acting Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the promotion comprised the elevation of 20,572 Sergeants to the next rank of Inspector while 324 Corporals were promoted to Sergeants, and 143 Constables to the rank of Corporal.

The police said the development was part of the ongoing efforts to improve “welfare, conditions of service, boosting the morale of personnel, with a view to repositioning the Force for greater efficiency”.

The statement quoted the IGP as saying that the promotion of the officers was also part of the manpower development drive of his administration to ensure that deserving personnel are promoted accordingly, to encourage hard work, and further embed the culture of merit, excellence, and dedication to duties.

The IGP assured senior police officers that the Force High Command is liaising with the Police Service Commission on the release of their promotion, which is expected to be approved and released as soon as possible.

“The Inspector-General of Police, while commending the newly promoted officers for their resilience and invaluable commitment to duties, charged them to see their promotion as a call for renewed zeal, vigour, patriotism to duty, and further re-dedication to professional policing standards.

“The IGP equally restated the commitment of his administration to entrenching longstanding reforms in the Nigeria Police Force,” the statement said.