The Police Service Commission has refuted claims that senior police officers paid N5m each to secure promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The commission described the allegation as untrue and a calculated attempt to tarnish the image of both the PSC and the Nigeria Police Force.
PSC spokesperson, Torty Njoku, made this known in a statement released on Sunday, stressing that the elevation of officers from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police followed laid-down procedures.
According to him, the commission, which oversees the appointment, promotion and discipline of police officers except the Inspector-General of Police, carries out its responsibilities in line with public service regulations and established administrative guidelines.
Njoku said the report alleging that officers paid bribes to obtain promotion was misleading and lacked any factual basis.
He added that the mention of the immediate past Inspector-General of Police in the publication was merely an attempt to lend credibility to what he described as an unfounded claim.
“The role of the Inspector-General of Police in the promotion process is limited to forwarding recommendations based on available vacancies and officers’ performance records, while the final approval rests with the commission,” he said.
The PSC spokesman maintained that insinuations of a “pay-for-promotion” arrangement amount to an attack on the integrity of the commission and its board members who oversee such exercises.
He challenged the online platform behind the report to present verifiable evidence to substantiate its allegations rather than rely on anonymous sources.
Njoku explained that documents referenced in the report, including an internal police wireless message, simply indicated that promotions had been approved, which he said was a routine administrative process.
He therefore urged the public to disregard the report, reiterating the commission’s commitment to transparency and merit-based promotions within the police force.
The commission also advised anyone with credible information about irregularities in the promotion process to submit a formal petition instead of circulating unverified claims.
Njoku further disclosed that the PSC was considering legal action against the media platform responsible for the report over alleged defamation and reputational damage.
