The Police Service Commission on Wednesday announced that Adamawa State recorded the highest number of applicants in the ongoing recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force, with 616,873 applications received nationwide.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of the PSC Standing Committee on Police Matters, DIG Taiwo Lakanu (retd), said of the total applications received, 434,604 were qualified for further screening, while 121,596 were unqualified and 60,673 submissions were invalid.
On gender distribution, Lakanu disclosed that 442,592 of the applicants were male, while 114,640 were female.
“I am pleased to present to you a summary of applications received: Total applications received: 616,873. General Duty applicants: 348,974; Specialist applicants: 85,630; Total qualified for further screening: 434,604; Unqualified applicants: 121,596; Invalid submissions: 60,673. In terms of gender distribution, Male applicants: 442,592 and Female applicants: 114,640,” Lakanu said.
The final state-by-state analysis showed Adamawa leading with 38,989 applications, followed by Benue with 34,511, Kaduna with 30,397, and Borno with 24,009. However, some states recorded low turnout, with Ebonyi posting 1,667 applications; Anambra, 1,739; Bayelsa, 2,430; and Lagos, 2,448.
Lakanu explained that wide disparities observed in state participation prompted the commission to approve a two-week extension to enable states with low turnout to intensify sensitisation efforts. He noted that the intervention yielded positive results and improved participation across the federation.
The PSC boss added that the next phase of the recruitment process—physical screening and verification of credentials—would commence on March 9, 2026. He disclosed 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.
“Drug users and persons of questionable character will not find their way into the Nigeria Police Force,” Lakanu warned.
He also announced the introduction of a whistle-blowing policy on police recruitment to enable Nigerians to report suspected irregularities, assuring that all reports would be treated confidentially and investigated.
The 434,604 qualified applicants will now compete for 50,000 available slots. The application portal opened on December 15, 2025, and was initially scheduled to close on January 25, 2026, but was extended to February 8, 2026.
