Tensions rise as police reject PSC recruitment list for alleged corruption despite Supreme Court ruling

Despite the Supreme Court judgment, which upheld the power of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to recruit officers into the Nigeria Police Force, the commission and the police authorities could be heading for another clash over the issue.

This followed the rejection of the list of shortlisted candidates for the ongoing recruitment of constables by the police high command.

After four years of a bitter legal battle between the PSC and the Nigerian Police over who should be responsible for recruiting police officers, following the approval of the recruitment of 10,000 officers every year for six years by the former president Muhammadu Buhari, the apex court had on July 11, 2023, resolved the matter in favor of the commission.

But citing allegations of irregularities and corruption in the recruitment exercise, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, has rejected the list of shortlisted candidates for the ongoing 2022/23 police constable recruitment led by the CPS.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which recognized the power of the commission to recruit for the police as ruled by the Supreme Court, insisted that this power does not include the power to recruit unqualified personnel.

The statement issued by the force's Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, argued that the Supreme Court judgment does not give the CPS the power to recruit unqualified and untrained persons for policing.

The statement added that the rejection of the list followed a deluge of complaints from unsuccessful candidates and stakeholders regarding the disappearance of the names of those who were selected and retained until the final stage.

In the statement, Prince Adejobi said a careful review of the published list revealed several anomalies.

“Several names of people purported to be names of successful candidates are those who did not even apply and therefore did not participate in the recruitment exercise,” he said.

Adejobi added that the list also contained the names of candidates who failed the computer-based test (CBT) or physical examination, as well as those disqualified after being found medically unfit.

“Most worrying is the allegation of financial dealings and corrupt practices leading to the pre-selection of unqualified and untrainable people,” he said.

The police spokesperson revealed that IG Egbetokun wrote to the PSC Chairman on June 10 objecting to the list and citing the irregularities discovered.

“The IGP's reaction was without prejudice to the power of the commission to recruit for the police, as held by the Supreme Court, but this power does not include the power to recruit unqualified and untrained persons for the police. police,” Adejobi added.

He argued that it is the police who bear the brunt of the recruitment of unqualified people and not the CPS.

“The same people who recruited haphazardly for the police today will turn around tomorrow to accuse the police of inefficiency when their recruits start making mistakes,” he added.

Adejobi revealed that the police disassociated themselves from the published list.

He called for a transparent and credible review of the recruitment process of “qualified, competent, trainable and productive individuals into the Nigeria Police Force, in line with the vision of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration on police reform .

The police spokesperson further assured that the police are committed to ensuring that the process is carefully reviewed to make it fruitful and successful for the good of the force and the country.

Chuks Okocha and Ikechukwu Aleke

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