The Nigeria Police Force has raised concerns about alleged corruption and irregularities in the recently published list of successful candidates for the 2022/23 police constables recruitment.
This reaction comes in response to numerous complaints from unsuccessful applicants and stakeholders regarding the removal of names of those who had been screened and deemed successful up to the final stage.
In a press release on Saturday, Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi revealed that an examination of the published list uncovered multiple inconsistencies.
“Several names on the list are of individuals who neither applied nor participated in the recruitment process,” Adejobi said.
He also noted that the list included candidates who had failed either the Computer Based Test or physical screening, as well as those disqualified for medical reasons.
“Of particular concern are allegations of financial misconduct and corruption resulting in the inclusion of unqualified and untrainable individuals,” he added.
Adejobi announced that Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, had on June 10 formally objected to the list in a letter to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, citing the identified irregularities.
“The IGP’s reaction respects the commission’s authority to recruit for the police, as affirmed by the Supreme Court, but emphasizes that this authority does not extend to recruiting unqualified individuals,” Adejobi stated.
He emphasized that it is the police who suffer the consequences of recruiting unqualified personnel, and warned that the same entities responsible for the flawed recruitment could later criticize the police for inefficiency.
The police spokesman announced that the police have distanced themselves from the published list and are advocating for a transparent and credible review of the recruitment process to ensure “qualified, competent, trainable, and productive individuals are brought into the Nigeria Police Force, in line with the reform vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.”
Adejobi reassured the public that the police are committed to a thorough review of the recruitment process to ensure its success and the improvement of the force and the country.