A police constable attached to the Nigeria Police Force’s specialised Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear unit in Ibadan, Oyo State, has resigned from the Force, citing prolonged emotional distress, depression, frustration and declining morale.
The officer, identified as Police Constable (PC) Aibana Daniel, Force Number 533200, of EOD-CBRN Base 19, Ibadan, reportedly submitted a resignation letter dated August 10, 2026, asking the Inspector-General of Police to accept his decision to leave the Force.
Daniel addressed the letter through the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, to the Inspector-General of Police at Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja.
The development is significant not simply because an officer has chosen to leave the police, but because of the reasons he gave for doing so.
Daniel’s account presents a rare glimpse into the psychological pressures that can accumulate inside a security institution whose personnel are routinely expected to operate under extreme conditions, absorb professional stress and continue functioning with discipline.
According to the resignation letter supplied to journalists, Daniel said his resignation took effect from August 10.
He described the decision as the product of a prolonged period of personal difficulty rather than a sudden reaction to a single incident.
“My decision follows a long period of personal struggle, emotional distress, and careful consideration.”
He said he had increasingly found it difficult to continue serving in his present department and disclosed that his mental and emotional state had deteriorated to the point where continuing in the same circumstances had become, in his words, potentially damaging to his wellbeing.
“Despite my determination to remain committed to my duties, I have reached a point where I can no longer continue to endure the situation without serious consequences to my mental and emotional wellbeing.”
That statement is potentially the most consequential part of the letter.
Daniel was not describing simple dissatisfaction with his employment. He was explicitly linking his departure to what he says was a prolonged deterioration in his psychological wellbeing.
Failed attempts at redeployment
The constable also indicated that resignation was not his first choice.
According to his account, he had attempted to remain within the Nigeria Police Force by seeking demobilisation and redeployment to another department where he believed he could perform more effectively.
“In an effort to preserve my career in the Force, I made several attempts to seek demobilization and redeployment to another department where I believed I could serve more effectively and regain my motivation.”
But those attempts, he said, did not succeed.
“Unfortunately, despite my repeated efforts and requests, I was not granted release from my current department.”
That claim raises an institutional question that deserves careful examination: how does the Nigeria Police Force identify and respond when an officer says he is struggling to continue in a particular assignment, especially within a specialist unit?
Daniel’s letter does not establish why his requests were rejected, who considered them, what welfare assessment was carried out, or whether alternative postings were available.
Neither does it, by itself, establish that the Force violated any rule or that his experience represents the situation of the wider police workforce.
What it does establish is that at least one officer says he sought an alternative before deciding that leaving the organisation was the only viable option.
“My passion, morale and overall wellbeing continued to deteriorate”
Daniel said he continued performing his duties while hoping the situation would improve.
Instead, he said, the problems persisted.
“I believe it would be unfair to the Force and to myself to remain in a position where I can no longer perform at my highest level.”
That argument carries particular weight in a unit such as EOD-CBRN.
Personnel responsible for explosive ordnance disposal and CBRN response operate in a field where concentration, procedural discipline and sound judgement are fundamental. An officer who says his mental and emotional wellbeing has deteriorated to the extent that he can no longer function at his best is raising an issue that is relevant not only to personal welfare but potentially to operational safety.
There is no evidence in the material reviewed that Daniel was involved in an accident, mishandled explosives or committed any operational offence. His letter instead frames the issue as one of personal and psychological sustainability.
That distinction matters.
It would be irresponsible to portray the resignation as evidence of widespread collapse inside the EOD-CBRN structure without corroborating data. Equally, it would be a mistake to dismiss the letter as merely an individual employment matter when the officer himself says he had tried to obtain a transfer before exiting the Force.
A welfare issue hiding inside a resignation letter
The broader context is revealing.
The Nigeria Police Force has publicly placed personnel welfare at the centre of its reform messaging under IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu. In April 2026, the Force said professionalism, accountability and personnel welfare were among the priorities underpinning its policing reforms. The Federal Government also launched the newly gazetted Nigeria Police Regulations framework, saying it was designed to strengthen professionalism, accountability and service delivery.
In June, the Force announced the promotion of 17,952 junior police officers, including 17,714 constables elevated to the rank of corporal, describing timely promotion as an important tool for motivation and career progression.
The Force has also repeatedly spoken publicly about welfare.
In July, the Nigeria Police Force reported welfare interventions involving police families through the Police Officers’ Wives Association, while an official statement said welfare, healthcare and mental wellness were among the areas being prioritised.
In another July statement following a major rescue operation in Oyo State, IGP Disu stressed the importance of welfare and recognition for personnel involved in high-risk duties, declaring:
“A policeman is first of all a human being.”
That statement now provides an important lens through which Daniel’s resignation should be viewed.
The question is not whether the Nigeria Police Force talks about welfare. It plainly does.
The harder question is whether welfare mechanisms are reaching individual officers early enough to prevent distress from becoming disengagement, burnout or resignation.
The psychology of policing cannot be separated from public safety
Policing is an inherently stressful profession. Officers work irregular hours, confront violence, witness deaths and injuries, deal with public hostility, carry weapons and are expected to make rapid decisions in situations where mistakes can have fatal consequences.
Specialist police units can face additional pressures.
EOD-CBRN personnel are trained to respond to explosive threats and hazardous materials. Their work can involve environments in which a moment of distraction or procedural failure can have catastrophic consequences.
This makes psychological fitness more than a private concern.
The Nigeria Police Force itself has recognised the relationship between mental fitness and safe policing in the past. An official NPF directive under a previous Inspector-General ordered psychological evaluation for armed officers, explicitly linking officers’ mental and emotional fitness to safe weapon handling and public safety.
Although that directive dates from an earlier administration and should not be treated as evidence of current policy implementation, it demonstrates that the Force has long recognised psychological wellbeing as an operational issue.
Daniel’s resignation therefore lands at the intersection of two responsibilities: the duty of the state to protect officers and the duty of those officers to remain capable of safely protecting the public.
What the resignation does — and does not — prove
There is an important distinction between an officer’s allegations and an independently established institutional finding.
Daniel’s letter is his account of why he left.
It does not establish, without further investigation, that his superiors acted improperly, that the Force denied him legally guaranteed treatment, or that the Nigeria Police Force has a systemic mental-health crisis.
Nor does the resignation establish that other officers in Base 19 or the wider EOD-CBRN formation share his experience.
However, his detailed reference to repeated attempts at redeployment makes the episode worthy of scrutiny.
If an officer says he requested release from a department because his motivation and mental wellbeing were deteriorating, the obvious next questions are whether those requests were formally documented, whether he was interviewed by a welfare or medical officer, whether psychological assessment was offered, and whether command considered alternative deployment.
Those are questions for the Police Service Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and, potentially, lawmakers overseeing police administration to answer.
Police reforms meet the reality inside the uniform
The timing is also notable.
Nigeria has been pursuing another phase of police reform in 2026. The new Police Regulations framework, formally launched in April, is intended to replace outdated provisions and improve accountability, training, career progression, discipline and service standards. The Federal Government said implementation across police commands would be critical to translating the reforms from policy into practice.
That distinction between policy and implementation is central to Daniel’s case.
A police institution can have welfare policies, medical services, insurance schemes, promotion structures and reform documents. The ultimate test, however, is what happens when a constable approaches the system and says he is no longer coping.
The Force’s own administrative structure includes police medical services and welfare functions, while its official organisational information says welfare programmes are part of the responsibilities of its finance and administration system.
The issue, therefore, is not whether mechanisms exist on paper.
It is whether an officer experiencing sustained distress can access those mechanisms quickly, confidentially and without fearing that asking for help will damage his career.
No public confirmation of acceptance found
As of August 13, 2026, the public materials reviewed from the Nigeria Police Force confirm that IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu remains the Inspector-General and that the Force continues to publicly emphasise personnel welfare, professional standards and operational readiness.
However, no publicly accessible NPF statement located in the course of this review independently confirms that Daniel’s resignation has been formally accepted.
That distinction is important.
Submitting a resignation letter and having an organisation formally approve or process the resignation are not necessarily the same thing. Police service is governed by statutory and regulatory provisions concerning appointment, tenure and separation from service, and Nigerian courts have previously examined restrictions surrounding resignation and withdrawal from service by members of the rank and file.
The current 2025 police regulations have replaced older frameworks and provide the governing structure for the modern Force, meaning the precise procedural position should be assessed against the applicable current regulations rather than historical rules alone.
“A necessary step” to save his mental wellbeing
Daniel was careful in his letter not to present his decision as an act of hostility towards the police.
Instead, he expressed gratitude to the institution.
“It is therefore with deep respect and a heavy heart that I request the acceptance of my resignation.”
He added:
“This decision is not a reflection of a lack of appreciation for the Nigeria Police Force, but rather a necessary step toward protecting my mental health and restoring stability to my life.”
He also thanked the Force for the opportunity to serve Nigeria, describing the experience and training he received as valuable elements of his professional development.
“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have served my country and for the experience, training, and professional development I have gained during my years of service.”
He then appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to consider and approve his resignation.
That tone is significant.
There is no allegation in the letter that Daniel was seeking to embarrass the Force. There is no claim that he was abandoning public service out of contempt for policing. His stated argument is that he reached a personal limit.
And that is precisely why the case deserves attention.
The bigger question for Nigeria
For a country facing kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, cult violence, armed robbery and other serious public-safety threats, personnel readiness cannot be measured only by the number of rifles, patrol vehicles, promotions or arrests.
It must also be measured by whether the people behind the uniforms are psychologically equipped to continue the job.
The Nigeria Police Force cannot prevent every officer from becoming frustrated or choosing another career. Police organisations everywhere experience attrition.
But where an officer says he repeatedly sought redeployment because of deteriorating morale and emotional wellbeing before finally resigning, the institutional response becomes part of the story.
Was he heard?
Was he assessed?
Was he offered support?
Was redeployment considered on operational grounds, welfare grounds or both?
And, perhaps most importantly, how many other officers quietly reach the same point without ever writing a resignation letter that becomes public?
There is currently no evidence to answer those questions.
What Daniel’s letter has done, however, is put them on the table.
For the Nigeria Police Force, the episode offers an opportunity to demonstrate whether its increasingly prominent rhetoric about personnel welfare extends beyond official statements and into the command rooms, barracks, specialist units and individual careers where the realities of policing are actually lived.
A policeman, as IGP Disu himself put it, is first of all a human being.
Daniel’s resignation now raises the uncomfortable question of what happens when that human being says the uniform has become psychologically unbearable.
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