Police Promotion Scandal: Spokesman Jimoh Moshood elevated twice in 3 months, P.A to Inspector General promoted above mates

Jimoh Moshood

The recent promotion in the Nigeria Police Force may have left a legion of deserving officers disaffected as Jimoh Moshood, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) is promoted twice in six months while Abdulkarim Abdullahi, the personal Assistant to the current Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, is promoted to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) whereas his Course 35 mates are Superintendent of Police (SP), having been promoted to that rank only last year.

In March 2018, PPRO Jimoh Moshood was among police officers decorated with new ranks by the Police Service Commission (PSC). He was promoted from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). Three months later in June 2018, Moshood was elevated from Assistant Commissioner of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). According to the General Promotion Guidelines spelt out for the Police Service Commission, it takes a minimum of three years for an officer between the ranks of ASP – ACP to be considered for another promotion during which time he or she must have attended the relevant promotion course and passed the prescribed examination. Similarly, it takes a minimum of four years for an officer in the Nigeria Police Force to be considered for promotion to any of the ranks between Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

Last Friday in Abuja, the controversial promotion of underserving officers was the subject of a general meeting at the Police Service Commission (PSC). A source present at that meeting told SATELLITE TIMES that in response to criticisms received by the Commission over the promotions, the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Musa Istifanus, had expressed helplessness saying each time he had raised objections at executive meetings to the abuse of promotion guidelines, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, would telephone him to express displeasure.

PSC, the oversight body of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), has as its functions the formulation of policies and guidelines on promotion in the NPF. The body is also charged with “participating in the conduct of promotion examinations and interviews for Police Officers in the examinable cadres in the NPF in conjunction with Police authorities” and in “processing of briefs and memoranda on the recommendations received from the Inspector General of Police on promotion of Senior Police Officers as well as acting appointment”.

The Police Service Commission have severally been dogged by accusations of cronyism, nepotism and corruption in conducting promotion exercises but the body infers it is never free of political interference.

In August 2017 the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had set up a Special Investigation Panel to look into alleged corruption in the police promotion exercise of that year. The panel was a result of complaints and allegations credited to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isah Misau, who had said that some policemen informed him they were made to offer huge bribes for promotion.

A lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, also said at the time that about 72 police officers complained to him they were omitted in the promotion exercise, pointing out that the exercise was tainted with corruption and favouritism.

The Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, joined the Force in the year 2000 as Cadet ASP on Course 20. Within 18 years he has risen to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. In 2015 Moshood was promoted to the rank of CSP, while in 2018 he was treated to double promotion at different times to the rank of ACP and DCP.

The source within the Police Service Commission told SATELLITE TIMES that the only justification for an officer to earn special promotion above their peers is through exhibition of exceptional bravery or gallantry like leading a team or being a member of a team that confronted and decimated a notorious robbery gang, kidnappers’ group or terrorists.

The Personal Assistant to the IG, Abdulkarim Abdullahi, with AP No.57593 joined the Nigeria Police in year 2000 on Course 35. His coursemates of Course 35 were promoted to the rank of Superitendant of Police (SP) in 2017. Abdullahi is a beneficiary of the recent promotion to the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police.

Yet another beneficiary is Charles Onoh, who until 2015 was the Escort Commandant to the former Vice President Namadi Sambo. Documents obtained by Satellite Times show that Onoh with AP No. AP86577 of Course 21, joined the force on 15th August, 2002. His rise to the position of Chief superintendent of Police started when he was serving the nation’s No. 2 Man.

The documents available to SATELLITE TIMES further showed that of a total of 630 officers promoted from SP to CSP, 49 were discovered to belong to two ineligible groups of Course 22 who joined the force in 2005 with AP No. ranging from 94075-98225 and those of Course 35 who joined in 2000 with AP No. ranging from 50304-87826. These 49 officers whose mates are still SP may have unduly favoured given that they had not spent the minimum three years on their last rank to qualify for the Annual Performance Evaluation Report (APER).