A group of aggrieved police inspectors, organized under the Concerned Police Inspectors in Nigeria (CPIN), took to the streets of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, on Friday.
The officers staged a peaceful protest to draw attention to their plight, having gone without salaries for 11 months.
The protesters matched in numbers to the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists where they voiced their concerns.
The leader of the delegation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Our crime-fighting morale has been dampened by the lack of commitment to our welfare by the police authorities.”
The officers, who were promoted from Inspector II to Inspector I, amount to over 1,500 personnel from various police formations across the state.
They called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene and ensure the payment of their salary arrears.
The protester also revealed that copies of their appeal were sent to the Presidency, the National Assembly, and the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The letter, addressed to the IGP, reads in part: “We are over 1,500 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Akwa Ibom Command, promoted from Inspector II to Inspector I, by the IGP effective from September 10, 2023, with a signal dated March 21, 2024.
“Till date, we are still collecting old salaries as junior Inspectors instead of senior Inspectors since the IGP gave us the confirmation letters. So, we have nowhere to run to than to the federal government which is our employer.”
The officers expressed their discomfort with what they described as “inhuman treatment” by the IGP. They pointed out that after many years of service, they are being denied their entitlements.
“We can no longer feed our families or pay their bills due to the high cost of essential items in the market.
“It’s difficult to believe that after being celebrated with our families for being elevated to another level, the IGP is deliberately short-paying us for 11 months now, and by calculation, the shortfall is over N550,000 each,” they lamented.
A group of aggrieved police inspectors, organized under the Concerned Police Inspectors in Nigeria (CPIN), took to the streets of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, on Friday.
The officers staged a peaceful protest to draw attention to their plight, having gone without salaries for 11 months.
The protesters matched in numbers to the Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists where they voiced their concerns.
The leader of the delegation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Our crime-fighting morale has been dampened by the lack of commitment to our welfare by the police authorities.”
The officers, who were promoted from Inspector II to Inspector I, amount to over 1,500 personnel from various police formations across the state.
They called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene and ensure the payment of their salary arrears.
The protester also revealed that copies of their appeal were sent to the Presidency, the National Assembly, and the Police Service Commission (PSC).
The letter, addressed to the IGP, reads in part: “We are over 1,500 personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Akwa Ibom Command, promoted from Inspector II to Inspector I, by the IGP effective from September 10, 2023, with a signal dated March 21, 2024.
“Till date, we are still collecting old salaries as junior Inspectors instead of senior Inspectors since the IGP gave us the confirmation letters. So, we have nowhere to run to than to the federal government which is our employer.”
The officers expressed their discomfort with what they described as “inhuman treatment” by the IGP. They pointed out that after many years of service, they are being denied their entitlements.
“We can no longer feed our families or pay their bills due to the high cost of essential items in the market.
“It’s difficult to believe that after being celebrated with our families for being elevated to another level, the IGP is deliberately short-paying us for 11 months now, and by calculation, the shortfall is over N550,000 each,” they lamented.
