The Nigeria Police Force has directed 475 officers whose compulsory retirements were overturned by the National Industrial Court to report for a mandatory six-month induction programme at the Police Staff College in Jos.
The directive followed the reinstatement of the officers after the court nullified their retirement under the controversial “merger of service” policy introduced in 2025.
The order was contained in a confidential letter dated July 31, 2026, signed by the Force Secretary, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Bode Akinbamilowo, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police. The letter was addressed to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police in the 17 zonal commands, Commissioners of Police across the states, and the Commandant of the Police Staff College, Jos.
According to the document, the directive implements a resolution reached by the Police Service Commission during its plenary meeting on June 25, 2026, which approved the regularisation of the affected officers’ dates of first appointment following the court’s judgment in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/28/2025.
The officers had initially been retired after a decision taken by the Police Service Commission at its extraordinary meeting on January 31, 2025. However, the National Industrial Court later overturned the action, paving the way for their return to service.
The Force Headquarters instructed all police commands to locate the affected officers and ensure they report to the Police Staff College for the induction exercise.
The affected personnel cut across several recruitment and promotion batches between 1992 and 2012 and include senior officers from the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police down to Superintendent of Police.
Among those listed are AIG Idowu Owohunwa, AIG Benneth Chinedu Igwe, AIG Uche Ifeanyi Henry, Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Asamber Lough, AIG Joseph O. Eribo, Commissioner of Police Fidelis Ndubuisi Ogarabe, and several other senior officers whose retirement dates have now been regularised.
The induction programme will begin with documentation and arrival from August 1 to August 16, 2026, while the main six-month training will run from August 17, 2026, to February 16, 2027.
The Inspector-General also directed the Commandant of the Police Staff College to submit a comprehensive list of all officers who complete documentation by August 24, 2026, warning that late attendance would not be accepted.
Copies of the directive were forwarded to the IGP’s Secretariat, Deputy Inspectors-General overseeing various departments, including Operations, Finance and Administration, Logistics, Investigation, Intelligence, Training and Development, Research and Planning, Information and Communication Technology, as well as the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of Police Accounts and Budget, with instructions to ensure the induction programme is conducted without disruption.
