In a significant move aimed at boosting morale, institutional pride, and professionalism within the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, will on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, officially decorate a group of officers recently approved for promotion by the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The event, scheduled for 12 noon at the IGP Smart Conference Room, Force Headquarters, Abuja, will honour officers whose conduct and commitment to duty have set them apart. Among those to be decorated are CSP Shaba Aliyu, named Police Officer of the Year 2023, who has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police with effect from December 31, 2023, and SP Sentome Obi, Police Officer of the Year 2024, now promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police, effective December 31, 2024.
These promotions follow the Force’s policy announcement in Press Release No. CZ:5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/472 dated July 25, 2025. That statement reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to recommending officers for accelerated promotion if they had won national police awards or received the IGP’s recognition in two consecutive award years.
The initiative stems from a resolution of the Force Management Team meeting held on June 23, 2025, driven by the IGP’s belief that institutional reform must be anchored in meritocracy and reward for excellence. The list of qualifying officers was forwarded to the PSC, which has since approved.
In recognition of the symbolic importance of this occasion, the IGP has also directed the deployment of the police jet to convey ACP Shaba and CSP Obi to Abuja for their formal decoration. Furthermore, their portraits have been prominently displayed at the main entrance of the Force Headquarters, with similar displays mandated at the entrances of Zonal and State Command Headquarters.
According to the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the officers being promoted are not limited to award recipients alone. Several staff officers at the IGP Secretariat, who have received multiple commendations in the past two years for distinguished service, are also beneficiaries.
“This is what institutional pride looks like. This is how trust is built—from within,” the statement read, affirming the Force’s mission to reward honour, celebrate service, and elevate excellence from exception to standard.
To officers across the country, the IGP’s message is clear: professionalism and integrity will be recognised, and the era of thankless service is over. Under the current leadership, the Nigeria Police Force is taking deliberate steps to restore honour and inspire confidence from within the ranks and among the public.
