PSC Issues Ultimatum: Police Officers failing promotion Exam thrice face compulsory retirement

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has introduced a stringent new policy mandating the compulsory retirement of any police officer who fails the promotion examination three times, a measure aimed at enforcing meritocracy and restoring professionalism in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The directive was issued by PSC Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Hashimu Argungu, during the ongoing promotion examination for 30 senior officers at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday, signaling a paradigm shift in career progression amid widespread calls for police reform.

The examination, held at the Solomon Arase Chairman’s Conference Hall, involved one Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), two Commissioners of Police (CPs), 11 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), and 16 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), out of 17 invited candidates.

Supervised by PSC commissioners including retired Justices Paul Adamu Galumje and Christine Ladi Dabup, as well as retired DIGs Taiwo Lakanu and Uba Bala Ringim, and Alhaji Abdulfatah Mohammed, the exercise marks the first mandatory test for senior promotions, replacing the previous seniority-based system criticized for fostering incompetence.

Argungu, a former National Security Adviser under President Goodluck Jonathan, described the initiative as a “long overdue reform” essential for modern policing, which demands “knowledge, skill, and continuous development.” He warned that repeated failures would lead to retirement on grounds of incompetence, stating, “Any officer who fails the examination three times will be retired at that level for obvious incompetence.”

The policy, introduced to align with global best practices like those in the UK and U.S., where promotion exams are standard, aims to weed out underperformers and rebuild public trust in the NPF, which ranks low in global integrity indices—Nigeria scored 27/100 on Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index for law enforcement.

The PSC Chairman also pledged enhanced diligence in the promotion process to eliminate past anomalies, such as erroneous elevations of deceased or retired officers—a scandal exposed in a 2023 audit revealing over 100 ghost promotions costing ₦2.5 billion annually.

“Although the promotion examination is coming late in the day, it was still a good development that is expected to restore the dignity of the Nigeria Police Force,” Argungu affirmed, echoing reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which allocated ₦3.2 trillion to defense and security in 2025, including training for 10,000 officers.

The policy arrives amid broader NPF challenges: With 400,000 personnel serving 220 million citizens—a ratio of 1:550 versus the UN’s recommended 1:450—the force faces recruitment backlogs and low morale, exacerbated by 2024’s 15% salary increase amid 34.2% inflation. Civil society groups like the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) welcomed the move, with analyst Kabiru Adamu stating, “This merit-based filter could curb corruption and boost efficiency, but implementation must be transparent to avoid victimization.”

As Nigeria navigates security threats like Boko Haram’s resurgence—claiming 63 lives in a September 5 attack—the PSC’s ultimatum signals a no-nonsense push for accountability. With exams now a “prerequisite for career progression,” Argungu’s vision positions the NPF for a more professional era, though experts urge safeguards to ensure fairness in a force long plagued by nepotism.