The senior police officers in the Nigeria Police Force have requested that President Muhammadu Buhari investigate the alleged collection of $10,000 bribe for police promotion by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
They claim that the PSC gave special promotion to junior officers above senior ones after receiving the bribe.
The officers, speaking through a statement issued by Mr Chijioke Okonkwo on their behalf, called for urgent action to be taken to address the corrupt practices and injustices going on in the force. The presidency has yet to respond to the request.
The statement read: “There is serious corruption in the Nigeria Police in the ongoing promotion of senior police officers.
“Junior ones are being given special promotions ahead of their seniors.
“Of recent, two aides of a senior officer, who were earlier promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police in year 2018, recently benefited from the special promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner and have their date of promotion backdated to 13/07/2021.
“Meanwhile, officers who are running the normal promotions, promoted to CSP in the year 2015 and recently elevated to the status of ACP with their date as 27/03/23, making them subordinates to their former junior.
“The mother of all the corruption is a list of some officers, most of whom are serving in Lagos State Command;
“They have paid as much as $10,000 to some notable people in Police Service Commission, for them to be given special promotions to their next rank and have their dates of promotion backdated under the disguise of community recommendations.
“This has taken the Inspector General of Police aback and generating rancor within the force headquarters.
“Such corrupt practices can only bring indiscipline, incompetency and lack of commitment in the force.”
The aggrieved officers said that “The President and Commander in Chief of Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, and other concerned authorities should as a matter urgency carry out re-organization in Police Service Commission and appoint corruption-free and God fearing individuals as commissioners into commission.”
