The Police Service Commission has dismissed allegations that senior police officers paid N5m each to secure promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The commission described the claim as false and a deliberate attempt to damage the reputation of both the PSC and the Nigeria Police Force.
PSC spokesperson, Torty Njoku, stated this in a statement issued on Sunday, insisting that the promotion of officers from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police followed due process and established procedures.
According to him, the commission, which is responsible for the appointment, promotion and discipline of police officers except the Inspector-General of Police, conducts its activities in line with public service rules and best administrative practices.
Njoku said the report suggesting that officers paid bribes to secure promotion was unfounded and misleading.
He added that references made to the immediate past Inspector-General of Police in the report were intended to give credibility to what he described as a baseless allegation.
“The role of the Inspector-General of Police in the promotion process is limited to forwarding recommendations based on vacancies and officers’ performance, while the final approval rests with the commission,” he said.
The PSC spokesman maintained that suggesting the commission operates a “pay-for-promotion” system was an attack on the integrity of the board members who supervise such exercises.
He challenged the online platform that published the report to provide verifiable evidence to support its claims instead of relying on unnamed sources.
Njoku explained that documents cited in the report, including an internal police wireless message, merely confirmed that promotions were approved, which he said was a routine administrative procedure.
He urged the public to disregard the report, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to transparency and merit-based promotions within the Nigeria Police Force.
The commission also advised anyone with credible evidence of misconduct during the promotion process to submit a formal petition rather than spreading unverified claims.
Njoku added that the PSC was considering legal action against the medium responsible for the report over alleged defamation and damage to its reputation.