Police ’91 Set Protest Delayed Promotions, Seek Tinubu, IGP Intervention Before Retirement

…As officers say stalled career progression may force them into retirement without deserved ranks

A group of police officers enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force in 1991 on Saturday staged a peaceful protest in Ibadan, Oyo State, calling on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to intervene in what they described as decades of stalled career progression.

Speaking to journalists during the protest, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP II), who asked not to be named, said officers of the 1991 recruitment set had spent over three decades in service without receiving promotions as and when due, despite meeting the required conditions and appearing before the same promotion boards as their colleagues.

“We were enlisted into the Nigerian Police Force in 1991, but since then, we have not been promoted as due. It was only during the tenure of Tafawa Balogun that some assistance came after we spent about 11 years and six months on the constable rank. In 2002, we were promoted to the rank of Corporal. Since then, we have continued to suffer stagnation at different stages of our careers,” the officer said.

He explained that in 2019, officers of the 1991 set appeared before the promotion board alongside Cadet Inspectors and Inspector Cadets, adding that although they all sat for the same examination, different promotion dates were assigned when the results were released.

“While the Cadet Inspectors were given promotion dates backdated to 2009, our own promotions were dated 2020,” he said.

According to him, the officers were later promoted to the rank of ASP II, but were excluded when promotion to ASP I was conducted.

“When it was time for promotion to ASP I, only Cadet Officers were promoted, even though we were meant to be promoted alongside them, as was done previously, even if with different effective dates,” he added.

The officer disclosed that several petitions had been written to the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission, appealing for intervention, but none had produced positive results.

He noted that most officers enlisted in 1991 were due for retirement in 2026, expressing concern that many might leave the service without attaining the ranks they deserved after over 30 years of service.

The protesting officers also lamented that in December 2025, some junior officers were promoted to the rank of ASP, while members of the 1991 set were excluded. They added that another promotion exercise had commenced this year without any promotion to ASP I for them.

“Promotion exercises have started again, yet nothing has been released for us. We are appealing to the Inspector-General of Police to kindly look into our matter and approve our promotion before we retire from service,” the officer said.

He described the situation as a nationwide issue affecting officers enlisted in 1991 across the federation, stressing that the protest was aimed at drawing attention to what they described as persistent injustice.

“This is not just about Ibadan or Oyo State. Officers across the country who were recruited in 1991 are affected. We are only asking for fairness and the promotion we have earned after decades of service,” he said.

The protesting officers warned that continued neglect could further dampen morale within the police force, urging the Federal Government, the IGP and the Police Service Commission to urgently address the matter in the interest of justice, equity and institutional integrity.