At the heart of this development is the approval recently conveyed by the Police Service Commission (PSC), following recommendations made by the Force Management Team in a resolution passed during its June 23rd meeting. The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, who has consistently championed performance-driven leadership, will personally decorate the officers.
Among those being honoured are officers whose reputations for integrity, courage, and distinguished service have resonated nationally. Chief among them are:
- CSP Shaba Aliyu, recipient of the Police Officer of the Year 2023 award, who has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police with effect from 31st December 2023.
- SP Sentome Obi, honoured as Police Officer of the Year 2024, now promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police, effective 31st December 2024.
These promotions are not routine. They are part of a new reward system established by the IGP’s administration to reinforce excellence as the foundation of internal reforms. In a public commitment made via Press Release No. CZ:5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/472 dated 25th July 2025, the Force pledged to recommend for accelerated elevation any officer who had received the Police Officer of the Year award twice in two consecutive years or had earned the IGP Recognition Award twice within the same timeframe.
The system is now delivering on that promise.
Also benefitting from this wave of promotions are other high-performing officers, including those who have won awards multiple times in the last two award cycles, as well as staff officers from the IGP Secretariat who have received repeated commendations over the past two years.
In a rare move that underscores the symbolic weight of the occasion, the IGP has ordered the deployment of a police jet to convey both ACP Shaba and CSP Obi to Abuja for their decoration. Additionally, their portraits have been placed at the main entrance of the Force Headquarters, a directive also extended to all Zonal and State Command Headquarters across the country.
These gestures serve not merely as celebration but as a signal—a visible reminder that honourable service is recognised, and that excellence is the new benchmark for career advancement in the Nigeria Police.
In IGP Egbetokun’s vision, this is how trust is built: through transparency, reward for merit, and institutional reforms that place professionalism at the centre. The message to officers nationwide is clear—the job is not thankless. Acts of dedication, integrity, and excellence will not go unnoticed.
This landmark decoration ceremony is more than an administrative event. It is a public reaffirmation of the Force’s evolving culture—one where honour is celebrated, service is valued, and excellence is expected.