The Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced that Adamawa State recorded the highest number of applicants in the ongoing recruitment exercise into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), as a total of 616,873 applications were received nationwide.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Taiwo Lakanu, Chairman of the PSC Standing Committee on Police Matters, disclosed that out of the total submissions, 434,604 applicants were qualified for further screening.
He said 121,596 candidates were found unqualified, while 60,673 applications were invalid.
Providing a breakdown of the figures, Lakanu explained that 348,974 applicants applied under the General Duty category, while 85,630 sought recruitment as specialists.
In terms of gender distribution, 442,592 of the applicants were male, while 114,640 were female.
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According to the state-by-state analysis released by the commission, Adamawa State topped the chart with 38,989 applications.
It was followed by Benue State with 34,511 applicants, Kaduna State with 30,397, and Borno State with 24,009.
However, some states recorded significantly lower turnout. Ebonyi State posted 1,667 applications, Anambra State recorded 1,739, Bayelsa State had 2,430, while Lagos State recorded 2,448 applications.
Lakanu noted that the commission initially observed wide disparities in participation across states at the early stage of the exercise.
This development, he said, prompted the PSC, in consultation with the police authorities and other stakeholders, to approve a two-week extension of the application deadline to allow states with low turnout intensify sensitisation campaigns.
The intervention, he added, yielded positive results and improved participation across the federation, describing the overall turnout as a reflection of renewed confidence among Nigerian youths in policing as a career of honour and national service.
He further announced that the next phase of the recruitment process, physical screening and verification of credentials, will commence on March 9, 2026.
He revealed that comprehensive drug integrity tests would be conducted in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to ensure that only candidates of sound health and proven integrity are admitted into the force.
He warned that drug users and persons of questionable character would not be allowed into the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that successful candidates would thereafter be posted to designated police colleges for training before deployment to various commands and formations for active service.
Lakanu also announced the introduction of a whistle-blowing policy on police recruitment to enable Nigerians report suspected irregularities in the process.
He assured that all reports would be treated confidentially and thoroughly investigated.
Reiterating the commission’s commitment to transparency, Lakanu said the exercise would be conducted strictly on merit and in line with the federal character principle to ensure fairness and inclusiveness.
The recruitment portal, which opened on December 15, 2025, was initially scheduled to close on January 25, 2026, but was later extended to February 8, 2026, following the commission’s intervention.
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