The Police Service Commission (PSC) has warned it will retire any officer who fails its compulsory promotion examination three times.

The statement was made by PSC Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police Hashimu Argungu on Monday, September 29, 2025, as 30 senior officers took part in the new assessment at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to PSC spokesman Ikechukwu Ani, the examination is now a mandatory prerequisite for career advancement within the force.

Those sitting the test included one Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), two Commissioners of Police (CPs), eleven Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), and sixteen Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs). The exercise was conducted at the Solomon Arase Chairman’s Conference Hall.

Argungu described the move as a long overdue reform designed to raise professional standards. “Any officer that fails the examination three times will be retired at that level for obvious incompetence,” he said, insisting that modern policing demands knowledge, skill, and continuous training.

He added that the commission is tightening its promotion process to prevent errors seen in the past, including cases where retired or deceased officers were elevated.

The promotion exercise was overseen by PSC commissioners, including retired Justices Paul Adamu Galumje and Christine Ladi Dabup, as well as retired DIGs Taiwo Lakanu and Uba Bala Ringim, and Alhaji Abdulfatah Mohammed.