The Police Service Commission, the statutory Government Executive Body with the Constitutional mandate to recruit, promote, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding offices in the Nigeria Police Force, except the Inspector General of Police, has assured Nigerians that there can never be any leadership vacuum in the Nigeria Police Force.

In connection to whether retiring senior Police Officers’ tenure should be elongated or not and whether such retirements would affect the 2023 election security, the commission after a Management Meeting on Monday, January 23rd 2023 in Abuja, said the on-going campaign for the extension of the tenures of some Deputy Inspectors General, DIGs, Assistant Inspectors General, AIGs, Commissioners, CPs and other senior Police Officers was an unnecessary distraction.

In a statement by the Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission took a decision that it will not extend the tenures of the retiring senior Police Officers, stressing that even when requested, it cannot do so as it is against all existing laws, Police Act, Police Service Commission Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It noted that the Police have capable men and women who should be encouraged to step into the vacancies that would be created by the existing Officers.  

It took a decision to rigidly uphold the provisions of the law which stipulates that a serving public Officer, whether in the Police or in any other Government Agency, must exit the service at the age of 60 or having served for a period of 35 years.