Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Police Force has announced a three-day promotion examination for Superintendents of Police seeking elevation to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police, in a move that will see hundreds of senior officers tested on law, professional studies, and their core areas of duty. The examination, scheduled for Monday, September 28, to Wednesday, September 30, 2026, will be conducted at all state commands and the Federal Capital Territory, according to a police wireless message dated September 23, 2026.
The directive was contained in a message from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, referenced as POLSCOM: 2300/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB.A/x, and addressed to various departments, formations, zonal commands, and state commands. The message stated that the Police Service Commission, in a letter dated September 21, 2026, with reference number PSC/PROM/14316/I, scheduled the promotion examination for officers moving from SP to CSP.
The Inspector-General of Police directed relevant commands and formations to inform all affected SPs serving at Force Headquarters, police zones, state commands, and other formations to report at designated command headquarters for the examination. The police authorities also directed the affected officers to prepare adequately by refreshing their knowledge in their respective core areas of duty and professional studies. The areas listed for revision include law, local acts, and professional studies.
State Commissioners of Police were specifically mentioned in connection with the examination. The wireless message further directed commands to scrutinise the list of participants and ensure that only officers shortlisted for the promotion examination are allowed to take part. The affected commands were also ordered to make the necessary arrangements for examination venues and logistics, as well as provide the required support to personnel from the Police Service Commission deployed to conduct the examinations. The police leadership further instructed the commands to submit a comprehensive report on the conduct of the examination no later than Friday, October 2, 2026.
The message was marked "Treat as Very Important" and signed on behalf of the AIG, Police Force Secretary, Abuja. The directive was circulated to a wide range of police departments, formations, and commands, including the Department of Operations, Department of Finance and Administration, Department of Logistics and Supply, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Department of Training and Development, Department of Research and Planning, Department of Information and Communication Technology, and the Force Intelligence Department.
Separately, the Police Service Commission has also directed officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police to sit for compulsory promotion examinations. In a letter dated September 21, 2026, signed by Onyemuche Nnamani, Secretary to the Police Service Commission, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, the Commission said the examinations will hold from Monday, September 28, to Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at state police commands and the FCT Command. The officers are seeking promotion from SP to CSP, Deputy Superintendent of Police to SP, and ASP to DSP.
The Commission explained that conducting the examinations at the state commands was intended to reduce the logistical difficulties that would arise from bringing the large number of recommended police officers to Abuja. The PSC subsequently directed the Nigeria Police Force to notify all affected officers and ensure that they report to the appropriate commands where they are currently serving. The decision followed a letter from the Nigeria Police Force with reference number SB:0025/FS/FHQ/ABJ/SUB/.6/49, dated September 10, 2026, concerning the recommendations for promotion of the affected officers.
According to the PSC, the examination is a requirement for promotion in line with its established policy. The Commission said in the letter: "In line with the Commission's policy of examination as a condition for promotion, it has scheduled examination for SP to CSP, DSP to SP and ASP to DSP as follows." The examinations are scheduled to take place between Monday, September 28, and Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at State Commands and the FCT. The Commission added: "The above is to ease logistics and challenges associated with inviting the large number of recommended officers to Abuja." It then directed: "Please inform the affected officers to report to the respective State Commands where they are serving."
The promotion exercise comes amid ongoing efforts to address concerns over the integrity of the police promotion process. In March 2026, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, ordered a special resit promotion examination for senior police officers who were reportedly sidelined during the tenure of former IGP Kayode Egbetokun. The resit was scheduled for March 24, 2026, at the Police Service Commission Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, and was intended for officers from the ranks of Assistant Commissioners of Police, Chief Superintendents of Police, and Superintendents of Police who were unsuccessful in the December 2025 and March 2026 promotion cycles.
The PSC has also previously cautioned Inspectors due for promotion to the rank of unconfirmed ASP against financial inducement, warning that any officer found engaging in such practices would be disqualified. The Commission has consistently maintained that examination remains a condition for promotion, a policy designed to ensure that only qualified and deserving officers ascend the ranks.
The upcoming examination will involve hundreds of officers across the country. The list of participants includes officers from various state commands, including Niger, Ondo, Ogun, and others. In the Niger State Command, the shortlisted officers include SP Kabiru I. Dutse and SP Dan-Kury Lawal. In the Ondo State Command, the list includes SP Clement Omoniyi Awoyemi, SP Bunmi Olowojayi, SP Charles Adeolu Asogbon, SP Makun E. Abodunde, and SP Odebo Olawumi Olakunle. In the Ogun State Command, the officers listed include SP Adiele Uchenna, SP Ibiyeye Bolaji Abdul, SP Oyewusi G. James, SP Oadamu Dindara, and SP Oyewusi G. James, among others.
The promotion examination is a critical component of the Nigeria Police Force's human resource management, as it determines the officers who will assume the rank of Chief Superintendent and take on greater responsibilities in the force. The rank of CSP is a senior position within the Nigeria Police Force, and officers who attain it are often considered for appointment to command positions at the state and zonal levels. The examination is therefore not just a routine administrative exercise but a process that shapes the leadership of the force.
The Police Service Commission has emphasized that the examination is a condition for promotion and that it is committed to ensuring that the process is transparent, fair, and merit-based. The Commission's decision to conduct the examination at state commands rather than in Abuja is a practical measure aimed at reducing the logistical burden on the force and ensuring that a large number of officers can participate without disrupting operations in their respective commands. As the officers prepare to sit for the examination, the outcome will determine not only their individual career progression but also the quality of leadership within the Nigeria Police Force in the years ahead.
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