1991 Nigerian Police Recruits Face Retirement As ASPs After 35 Years, Protest Two-Year Promotion Delay

Police officers recruited into the Nigeria Police Force in 1991 have protested what they described as prolonged stagnation in their careers, accusing the police authorities and the Police Service Commission (PSC) of withholding promotions they said became due in 2024.

The affected officers, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity over fears of victimisation, said they had remained at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) for years despite meeting the requirements for promotion to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

They described the situation as unfair, saying many had served for nearly 35 years and were approaching retirement without receiving the promotion they believed they had earned.

One of the officers, who said he was recruited in October 1991, told SaharaReporters that members of his cohort had remained on the same rank for decades.

“I was recruited in October 1991 and since then, we have been wearing two stars instead of three stars, but the police refuse to promote us. We have been due for promotion since 2024. We have filled out our APE forms, but because of wickedness, they refuse to promote us,” the officer said.

He said the affected personnel had completed the required documentation but were yet to receive their new rank.

“We want to retire now, and we have been tagged with two stars for 35 years, yet the police did not give us our rank,” he said.

The officer said the affected personnel had no disciplinary issues that could explain the alleged delay.

Another affected officer said the situation had become particularly painful because some members of the 1991 recruitment class had already retired without receiving the promotion they were due for.

“There’s no reason for the delay! It’s just wickedness. We don’t have any query; we don’t have anything against our names,” the officer said.

He added that the affected officers had completed and submitted their Annual Performance Evaluation (APE) forms and other required documents.

“Most of us were retiring without taking that promotion. We have filled our APE, done everything, submitted our APE. Yet, they are not promoting us. They don’t promote us,” he said.

The officer accused the authorities of allowing members of the 1991 set to approach retirement without promotion.

“They want everybody to retire without promotion from two stars,” he said, appealing for what he described as equitable justice.

The complaints centre on officers who said they became eligible for promotion to DSP in 2024 but have remained at the ASP rank.

The affected personnel said the delay had left them professionally stagnant despite their long years of service and could have financial and career implications for those approaching retirement.

They urged the relevant authorities to urgently review their cases and release the promotions where they have met the applicable requirements.

Efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from the Nigeria Police Force were unsuccessful, as the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, did not respond to calls.

The police authorities and the PSC were yet to publicly respond to the specific allegations by the affected 1991 officers as of the time of filing this report.(SaharaReporters)