PSC denies corruption in Police recruitment exercise, dares IGP

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has challenged the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to present verifiable evidence supporting their allegations regarding the recruitment of constables.

The police had, in a statement on Saturday by the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, rejected the names of those recruited by the commission.

Adejobi added that the PSC portal was scrutinised, and it was discovered that “several names of persons purported to be names of successful candidates are those who did not even apply and therefore did not take part in the recruitment exercise.”

On Friday, the PSC, through its Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, addressed the issue for the first time, stating the police’s allegations were an attempt to discredit the commission. Ani highlighted that despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, the police have been reluctant to allow the PSC to perform its constitutional duties.

Ani’s statement emphasized that due process was followed in the recruitment exercise, proposing a forensic audit of the PSC’s list. He insisted that both the PSC’s and the police’s lists of successful candidates be audited using the results of the JAMB computer-based test.

According to Ani, the Supreme Court judgment of July 11, 2023, confirmed the PSC’s authority to recruit, with no role assigned to the police in this process. This contradicts Egbetokun’s claim that the police should be involved in the recruitment.

Ani further criticized the police for blaming their failure to protect lives and property on poor recruitment practices, noting that since the police took over recruitment in 2019, their actions have hindered their effectiveness. He accused the police of using fraudulent recruits from the 2020 and 2021 exercises to justify their current failures.

Ani called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure that Egbetokun respects the PSC’s constitutional mandate. He urged that the successful candidates be allowed to commence training without delay.