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These promotions cover Police Constables to Corporals, Corporals to Sergeants, and Sergeants to Inspectors, the bedrock of operational policing in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Police Force has approved the promotion of over 29,000 rank-and-file officers and 4,708 Inspectors in what is being described as one of the most extensive internal reorganisation efforts in recent years.
This development comes amid rising public scrutiny of the Force’s welfare structure. It follows months of internal agitation and public campaigns, notably the #PoliceProtest, which spotlighted the years of neglect suffered by junior officers.
Internal Signals Confirm Promotions Across Commands
SaharaReporters obtained internal documents and wireless signals confirming the promotions.
According to a circular titled “RANK-AND-FILE PROMOTION GENERAL 2025”, a total of 29,137 junior officers across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were elevated to new ranks in line with the traditional non-commissioned officer career progression.
These promotions cover Police Constables to Corporals, Corporals to Sergeants, and Sergeants to Inspectors, the bedrock of operational policing in Nigeria.
The circular, issued by police authorities and marked with command names such as “Tal/Tlorin/Calabar/Jos/Oyin-Akoko,” outlines the details of the mass promotion.
It stated in part: “The Inspector-General of Police has graciously approved the promotion of the following Sergeants, Corporals and Constables from various Commands/Formations with effect from 03/04/2024 and 14/07/2025 as indicated against their names.”
Rank-And-file Promotion General 2025_0001 by Sahara Reporters on Scribd
Inspr to ASP July 2025-Comp by Sahara Reporters
It added that “this promotion is strictly based on seniority and merit, and the beneficiaries are those promoted, enlisted to their various ranks on or before 31/12/2019 and 31/12/2020, respectively.”
The police hierarchy further warned that “Heads of Commands and Formations should ensure that those promoted and enlisted between 2021 and above do not benefit from this exercise.”
It concluded with a congratulatory message from the IGP, directing commanders to “convey his hearty congratulations to the beneficiaries.”
Nationwide Reach of Promotions
The promotions cut across various units and formations, including the regular State Police Commands, the Federal Capital Territory Command, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Zonal Commands, and specialised formations such as the Counter Terrorism Unit and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit.
Officers from technical departments like Force Communications, Border Patrol, and the Airwing were also listed.
While both male and female officers were represented in the promotion list, female officers, typically marked with prefixes such as W/PC (Woman Police Constable) and W/SGT, appeared to be significantly fewer in number.
A breakdown of the promotion data by state shows that Anambra State recorded the highest number of promoted officers with 1,089. This was followed closely by Imo State with 1,064 and Kwara State with 1,061.
Other states with high numbers include Abia (1,050), Kogi (989), Plateau (978), Borno (967), and Bayelsa (966). Ondo (958) and Osun (934) also recorded significant promotion figures.
In the Middle Belt region, Taraba and Kaduna posted 897 and 886 promotions respectively, while Cross River and Adamawa registered 881 and 872. Surprisingly, Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital, recorded only 857 promotions, falling behind states like Sokoto (844), Benue (824), and Bauchi (779).
Other states such as Jigawa (740), Zamfara (739), and Yobe (718) reflected moderate progress. States like Ekiti (714), Kano (712), Gombe (690), and Edo (688) also featured, while the Federal Capital Territory had 685 promotions.
Ebonyi (671), Ogun (652), and Enugu (619) trailed behind, while Kebbi (579), Niger (550), Delta (546), Oyo (532), Nasarawa (519), Rivers (518), and Katsina (495) recorded the least numbers.
4,708 Inspectors Promoted To ASP
In a separate but related announcement, a classified police wireless message obtained by SaharaReporters also confirmed the promotion of 4,708 Inspectors to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
The document, with the subject line “PROMOTION SENIOR OFFICERS: INSPR TO ASP-II”, revealed that the Police Service Commission (PSC), in a letter dated July 22, 2025, approved the promotions based on recommendations by the Inspector-General of Police.
The police wireless message was addressed to numerous internal units, including the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), the Department of Operations (DOPS), the Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), and all Zonal and State Commands.
According to an internal police wireless message dated July 25, 2025, the promotion, which was approved in a PSC letter referenced PSC/PROM/1/1096/II and dated July 22, 2025, was based on the recommendation of the Inspector General of Police. It elevates the listed Inspectors to the substantive rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police II (ASP II). The promotions are effective from the dates indicated against each officer’s name in the official records.
The wireless message was widely distributed across all arms of the Force, including departments such as Operations, Logistics, CID, Intelligence, Maritime, and Welfare; zonal and state commands; and specialised units like INTERPOL, Bomb Squad, Air Wing, Border Patrol, and Police Colleges in Kano, Jos, Enugu, and other training institutions.
The names of the officers promoted from Inspector to ASP ranks, including ASP II, ASP III, ASP H, ASP U, and ASP I, were included in the signal, with effective dates mostly ranging from June 1, 2023, to August 1, 2023. The list featured officers from various geopolitical zones and commands, further emphasising the nationwide scope of the exercise.
Sowore: Promotions Are Protest-Driven, Not Reform-Driven
Reacting to the mass promotion, human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, praised the development but attributed the action to the recent #PoliceProtest he led to fight for the improved welfare of both serving and retired police officers.
Sowore was joined by political commentator Deji Adeyanju and activist Dan Bello during the protest in Abuja almost two weeks ago to demand better welfare and living conditions for both serving and retired police officers in Nigeria.
The retired police officers also called for the immediate withdrawal of the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme, which they said plunged them into severe economic hardship, financial embarrassment, and a disturbing increase in depression and deaths among retired personnel.
During the Abuja #PoliceProtest, the retirees decried their poor welfare, insisting that after dedicating up to 35 years in service to the country, they deserve better pay and dignified living conditions.
They specifically criticised the pension scheme overseen by Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, describing it as fraudulent and unacceptable. According to them, the arrangement fails to protect the welfare and interests of retired officers.
In a recent post across his social media platforms, Sowore wrote: “The #PoliceProtest has once again exposed what decades of silence could not fix. According to the RANK-AND-FILE PROMOTION GENERAL 2025 document obtained today, a total of 29,137 junior officers have been promoted. This is an unprecedented wave of upward movement within the Nigeria Police Force @PoliceNG.”
He continued: “These promotions cut across the three core progression levels that define rank-and-file advancement: Police Constable to Corporal, Corporal to Sergeant, and Sergeant to Inspector. This structure reflects the typical ladder for non-commissioned officers and confirms that the push for justice is being felt where it matters most, among those long abandoned at the bottom of the force.”
Sowore was clear in stating that the recent promotion approval of the police officers was not an act of reform born out of goodwill, but a direct result of pressure from the protest.
He continued: “The promotions, some of which were backdated, are not limited by geography or formation. Officers across all 36 state commands were included, along with those from the FCT Command, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Zonal Commands, and several specialised formations, such as the Counter Terrorism Unit and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. Both male and female officers were promoted, but men dominated the promotion by 85%. This is not reform born out of goodwill. It is the result of pressure, protest, and a people who refuse to stay silent.”
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Source: SaharaReporters.com | Read More
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