Officers of the South-East Zone of the Nigeria Police Force have petitioned the Ministry of Police Affairs over the alleged non-payment of eight months’ salary arrears following their promotion from Sergeant to Inspector in 2016.
The petition, dated February 19, 2026, made available to Securitynewsalert.com, was submitted by the Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, on behalf of affected officers.
According to the petition addressed to the Minister of Police Affairs in Abuja, the officers were promoted effective June 8, 2016, but did not begin receiving salaries on the Inspector scale until February or March 2017, creating arrears covering June 2016 to January 2017.
The petition stated that while officers in some parts of the country were reportedly paid the arrears, those serving in the South-East Zone claim they have yet to receive the payments nearly a decade later.
It noted that inquiries made by the affected officers allegedly yielded responses that the payments had already been effected, despite the absence of records reflecting such payments on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
“No arrears appear on their salary records under the IPPIS payroll system, and no payment advice or documentary evidence of arrears has been provided,” the petition said.
The document raised concerns about possible payroll discrepancies and uneven implementation of payments across different zones of the police force.
According to the petitioners, the situation raises questions about whether the arrears were properly computed and approved, whether funds were released but not credited to beneficiaries, and whether systemic payroll irregularities may be affecting police personnel.
They argued that if officers in certain zones were paid while others were not, it would amount to “inequitable administrative treatment that must be urgently investigated.”
The group also expressed concern that prolonged non-payment of earned remuneration could affect morale and welfare within the police force.
“The non-payment of lawful salary arrears violates the constitutional right to fair remuneration for work performed and established public service payroll accountability standards,” the petition added.
As part of the reliefs sought, the petitioners asked the ministry to order a forensic audit of IPPIS records for officers promoted on June 8, 2016, from Sergeant to Inspector in the South-East Zone, determine whether funds were released and where they were credited, and provide a state-by-state breakdown of arrears payments for the promotion batch.
They also called for the immediate payment of any outstanding arrears and the establishment of a transparent grievance redress mechanism for salary and promotion-related complaints within the police force.
“This petition is not merely about arrears; it is about accountability, fairness, and restoring confidence in institutional processes within the Nigeria Police Force,” Nwanguma said in the letter, urging the minister to treat the matter with urgency and inform the petitioners of steps taken.
