The NPF (Nigeria Police Force) is Nigeria's primary security and law enforcement agency. The country's 1999 constitution gives the NPF exclusive jurisdiction throughout the nation. The Nigerian police ranks, symbols, and command structures are well laid out, as is often the case with numerous police, military, and paramilitary agencies out there.
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The NPF has officers in all 36 Nigerian states as well as the country's FCT (Federal Capital Territory), all belonging to various ranks.
Nigerian police ranks, symbols, and structure
The NPF is subdivided into seven administrative departments.
- A Department: Finance and Administration
- B Department: Operations
- C Department: Logistics and Supply
- D Department: Criminal Investigation
- E Department: Training
- F Department: Research and Planning
- G Department: Information and Communication Technology
Nigeria Police Force ranks
What are all the police ranks in order? As with numerous other law enforcement and security agencies, the NPF has an elaborate hierarchical structure that starts with the Inspector-General at the helm.
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Here is a look at the hierarchy of police ranking in Nigeria as well as the Police ranking symbols associated with each rank.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police
Commonly known as the IGP, this is the head of the entire NPF and the most senior officer. The Inspector-General controls the administration of the NPF. Usman Alkali Baba is the current IGP after he succeeded Mohammed Adamu in 2021.
A serving officer of the NPF is usually appointed to the office of the IGP through a recommendation to the sitting president. Once confirmed, the president forwards the appointee's name to the Senate for confirmation.
The symbol for the rank of Inspector General includes the country's coat of arms, crossed tipstaffs, and two stars, all surrounded by a laurel typically worn over the officer's shoulder.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police
This is the second-in-command at the NPF and can even play the role of IGP in his absence. Each of the seven administrative departments mentioned earlier is headed by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
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The symbol for the rank of the Deputy Inspector-General is like that of the IGP but with one star instead of two.
The Asst. Inspector-General of Police
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) is subordinate to the Deputy Inspector General. Officers in this rank are tasked with overseeing the zonal operations of the NPF. Additionally, the AIG can take his superior's role in his absence.
The symbol denoting the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) is the country's coat of arms, cross tipstaffs, and one bar, all surrounded by a laurel wreath worn on the shoulder.
The Commissioner of Police
A Commissioner of Police oversees the force's state command. An officer is appointed into the position by the Inspector General, subject to approval by the Police Service Commission. The Commissioner of Police takes instructions from the highest-ranking officer (the IGP) or anyone acting on his behalf.
The symbol for the rank of Commissioner is a laurel wreath surrounding the country's coat of arms and crossed tipstaffs.
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The Deputy Commissioner of Police
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) oversees an area command. He/she is usually the second-highest ranked officer in the force's state command and can take the Commissioner of Police's role if need be.
The DCP rank's symbol is a laurel wreath surrounding a single star and crossed tipstaffs.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police
The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) is directly below the DCP and takes instructions from both the DCP and the Commissioner. The symbol for officers in this rank is a laurel wreath surrounding crossed tipstaffs.
The Chief Superintendent of Police
The Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) heads a department of the NPF at state. The symbol for an officer in this rank is a star and the Nigerian coat of arms.
The Superintendent of Police
This is the officer directly under the Chief Superintendent and carries out administrative assistance tasks for the CSP. The symbol for this rank is the Nigerian coat of arms.
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The Deputy Superintendent of Police
The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) sits below the Superintendent and can even carry out his senior's roles in his absence. The symbol for this rank is a group of three stars, vertically arranged.
The Assistant Superintendent of Police
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) is the sixth-lowest ranked officer in the NPF and sits above the Inspector. Two vertically arranged stars symbolize officers in the ASP rank.
The Inspector of Police
An Inspector of Police manages teams of Constables and Sergeants. A confirmed Inspector is denoted by a small bar above a larger one. A Principal Inspector rank is symbolized by three parallel bars, and a Chief Inspector by four parallel bars.
Sergeant Major
A Sergeant Major is the highest-ranked non-commissioned officer of the NPF. The rank is also the highest of the junior officers of the force. Officers in this rank are tasked with assisting administrative officers in regiments.
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The symbol for this rank is the country's coat of arms.
Sergeant
A Sergeant is the middle-ranked non-commissioned officer and sits right below a Sergeant Major. The symbol for this officer includes three red arrowheads pointed downwards.
Corporal
This rank is abbreviated as Cpl. Officers in this rank wear a badge with two red downward-pointing arrowheads.
Constable
What is the lowest rank of a police officer? The answer is a constable. Officers in this rank are usually newly employed after graduating from the Nigeria Police Academy. The Constable rank has two grades and is denoted by a single red downward-pointing arrowhead symbol.
Nigeria Police logo
The NPF logo has an eagle on the crest, sitting on two tipstaffs which are then placed on an elephant standing on a green lawn. The eagle represents strength, the tipstaffs stand for authority and office, the elephant for reliability and steadfastness, and the lawn for Nigeria's rich vegetation.
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Salaries of officers in different ranks of the NPF
Here is a look at the annual salaries given to officers in the different Nigerian Police ranks.
- Inspector General: ₦8,537,976
- Deputy Inspector General: ₦6,558,872.76
- Assistant Inspector General: ₦5,997,022.44
- Commissioner on Grade Level 15 (step 06): ₦3,635,645.64
- Commissioner on Grade Level 15 (step 1): ₦3,201,333.48
- Deputy Commissioner on Grade Level 14 (step 07): ₦3,346,233.48
- Deputy Commissioner on Grade Level 14 (step 1): ₦2,912,587.80
- Assistant Commissioner on Grade Level 13 (step 10): ₦2,555,257.92
- Assistant Commissioner on Grade Level 13 (step 1): ₦2,198,228.76
- Chief Superintendent on Grade Level 12 (step 08): ₦2,396,687.52
- Chief Superintendent on Grade Level 12 (step 1): ₦2,065,068.72
- Superintendent on Grade Level 11 (step 10): ₦2,251,400.28
- Superintendent on Grade Level 11 (step 1): ₦1,937,739.49
- Deputy Superintendent on Grade Level 10 (step 10): ₦2,044,796.28
- Deputy Superintendent on Grade Level 10 (step 1): ₦1,784,799.48
- Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 10): ₦1,875,820.68
- Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 09 (step 1): ₦1,639,392.72
- Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 10): ₦1,729,824.84
- Assistant Superintendent on Grade Level 08 (step 1): ₦1,531,256.16
- Cadet Inspector on Grade Level 07 (step 10): ₦1,045,628.40
- Cadet Inspector on Grade Level 07 (step 1): ₦878,778.12
- Sergeant Major on Grade Level 06 (step 10): ₦746,458.56
- Sergeant Major on Grade Level 06 (step 1): ₦661,737.72
- Sergeant on Grade Level 05 (step 10): ₦671,686.08
- Sergeant on Grade Level 05 (step 1): ₦582,490.56
- Corporal on Grade Level 04 (step 10): ₦613,363.08
- Corporal on Grade Level 04 (step 1): ₦536,586.36
- Constable Grade Level 10: ₦613,363.08
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The different Nigerian police ranks, symbols, salaries, and responsibilities are all part of an elaborate structure that governs the country's police force. Typically, officers start at one of the junior ranks and work their ways upwards to the higher ones.
READ ALSO: List of 37 LCDA in Lagos State and their chairmen
Legit.ng recently explored the list of Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) in Lagos State as well as the chairmen at the helm of these bodies. Lagos state is divided into administrative divisions that are then subdivided further into Local Government Areas and LCDAs.
These units were put in place to make administration easier in the highly populated state. The LCDA chairmen are usually elected in council polls and then sworn in by the state's sitting governor.
Source: Legit.ng
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