Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has announced the promotion of over 36,000 police officers as well as the dismissal of 51 others for corrupt practices.
Arase, who made this known yesterday in Abuja at the last strategic meeting in 2015 with senior officers, added that 56 policemen were punished for misconducts.
He explained that the promotion became necessary after he identified stagnation on a rank as a reason engendering corruption in the police.
On the breakdown of those promoted, the police boss said 456 police constables were promoted to the rank of corporal; 28,530 corporals to the rank of sergeants and 6,443 sergeants to inspector.
“This figure includes personnel who have consistently risked their lives and courageously confronted insurgents in the Northeast. Most of them have been considered for special promotion and in addition, over 5,184 traffic wardens that have remained de-motivated and agitated for years due to rank stagnation have also been promoted while 995 senior officers have been promoted from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to Deputy Inspector General (DIG).
“We also gave some slot to our colleagues in the Northeast. We could not pull them out from the theatre of war. They were not on ground, but we are promoting about 1400. So, if you add it up, it’s about 37,000.”
He added that the promotions take effect from January 1, next year.
The police boss said between May and November, this year, the anti-corruption enforcement unit he put in place led to the dismissal of 51 officers and men for proven corrupt practices.
On the recruitment of 10,000 officers as instructed by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier this year, Arase said: “For the recruitment of the 10,000 more officers, the template has already been drawn out between our training department, the Police Service Commission and the Federal Character Commission.”
On the electoral violence witnessed during the Bayelsa election, the IGP said: “Is it police officers that engaged in political violence? No, it is not us. We are a panacea to political violence. Why is it that we were able to conduct the same election in Kogi with the same template and were highly applauded?
“We did the same thing in Bayelsa.”
He advised politicians to imbibe morality and integrity in politics.