FG Approves Automatic Promotion For 6 Kidnapped Civil Servants

The federal government has granted automatic promotion to six civil servants who were abducted while travelling to sit for their 2025 promotion examinations.

The affected officers, all from the Ministry of Defence, were kidnapped in Kogi State while en route from Lagos to Abuja for the exercise.

Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Tunji Olaopa, announced the decision on Saturday in Abuja, describing it as a compassionate response to the trauma suffered by the victims.

According to him, the Commission, in consultation with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other stakeholders, approved their elevation to the next grade level as education officers.

“The Commission, in consideration of the trauma experienced by the victims, has on compassionate grounds granted automatic promotion to the six candidates,” Olaopa said.

He added that the Commission sympathises with the officers and recognises the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.

Olaopa noted that the affected officers were among the first set of candidates involved in the transition from traditional pen-and-paper promotion examinations to computer-based testing (CBT), which recorded near-total success.

He said the experience has strengthened the need to reform promotion examinations, particularly by reducing the risks associated with long-distance travel.

The FCSC chairman explained that the adoption of CBT has improved transparency, reduced costs, and enhanced efficiency in the conduct of examinations. He added that the Commission is working to decentralise the process, allowing candidates to sit for exams closer to their duty posts.

Olaopa also highlighted broader challenges within the civil service, including declining professional skills, workforce planning gaps, and the impact of prolonged recruitment embargoes.

He said ongoing reforms, including human resource audits and improved performance evaluation systems, are aimed at addressing these issues and strengthening institutional capacity.