BY ANTHONIA EMMANUEL
Tensions are rising within the Nigeria Police Force as numerous officers have voiced dissatisfaction over a promotion exercise they claim is designed to favor a select few, particularly those with recently acquired PhDs allegedly connected to top officials.
Officers, particularly those within the inspectorate and rank-and-file categories, are accusing the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) of sidelining personnel who submitted their academic credentials for promotion consideration back in 2023.
In separate interviews, several aggrieved officers spoke anonymously due to fears of retaliation. They alleged that after submitting their degree and HND certificates as instructed last year, they received no updates only to now see a fresh promotion directive that seems tailored exclusively for doctorate degree holders.
“When we were asked to submit our documents in 2023, many of us thought it was finally our time to get promoted based on academic merit. But after submitting, nothing happened,” one officer lamented. “Now they’ve come up with a new directive that focuses only on officers with PhDs. Where does that leave the rest of us?”
The new signal, dated May 15, 2025, and marked CE:2300/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.4/292, instructed commands across the country to compile and forward names of officers who hold doctoral degrees and have approved study leave. This condition, according to the affected officers, was not part of the original requirements in 2023.
“Back then, nobody mentioned study leave or PhDs. Now suddenly they’ve added those as conditions, knowing fully well that only a handful of officers, most of them close to Abuja or in elite institutions fit that profile,” another officer complained.
Sources within the force claimed that some of those now being considered for promotion only recently obtained their PhDs from private universities, including Al-Hikmah University, raising suspicions that the new process is meant to benefit those with personal ties to top brass.
“If the IG and his close allies just got their PhDs and are suddenly pushing for PhD-based promotions, it’s hard not to see this as favoritism,” one officer noted. “What happens to those of us who have held first and second degrees for years and submitted them as requested?”
The exclusion of a large number of field officers from the process has deepened resentment. According to the officers, many of those being considered are stationed at Force Headquarters or police colleges, while those serving across volatile regions like Maiduguri, Jos, or Kaduna have been ignored.
“This goes against the basic principles of fairness and equity,” an officer said. “Why request documentation from thousands of officers if you had no plan to use it?”
They are now calling on the Inspector-General and the PSC to review the 2023 submissions and ensure that promotions reflect qualifications fairly across the board, not just for a privileged few.
“If promotions are going to be tied to academic qualifications, it must be done transparently,” one officer insisted. “Anything else is demoralizing and unjust.”
Despite repeated attempts to raise their concerns through internal channels, the officers claim no action has been taken, prompting them to speak out through the media in hopes of drawing public attention to what they describe as a deeply flawed and discriminatory system.
