The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), led by Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun, has rejected the list of successful applicants for constable and specialist cadre roles released by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

In a statement on Saturday, Force Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi made it clear that the list was plagued by irregularities, noting that many individuals who did not apply to join the force had their names on the recruitment list.

Biztellers reports that when the list was released on June 4, former PSC Chairman Solomon Arase had noted that the selection process was rigorous to enhance the force’s capacity and effectiveness.

However, six days after the list’s publication, President Bola Tinubu dismissed Arase and appointed Hashimu Argungu, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, in his place.

The statement reads,  “The Nigeria Police Force has raised alarm on the irregularities and alleged corruption of the recently released names of successful candidates in the ongoing 2022/23 Police Constables Recruitment Exercise.

“This became necessary upon being inundated with a series of complaints and allegations of corruption raised by unsuspecting candidates and stakeholders on the irregularities that marred the exercise most especially the disappearance of the names of screened candidates who were successful to the last stage.

“Upon careful scrutiny of the list released on the PSC portal, it was discovered that
i) 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.
ii) The published list contains several names of candidates who failed either the Computer Based Test (CBT) or the physical screening exercise or both.
iii) There are those who made it to the last stage of the exercise but were disqualified having been found Medically unfit through the standardised medical test but who also made the list of successful candidates as published by the PSC.
vi) Most worrisome is the allegation of financial dealings and corrupt practices leading to the outcome where unqualified and untrainable individuals have been shortlisted.

“The Inspector General of Police had on 10th June 2024 written a letter of objection to the list addressed to the Chairman of the Commission, citing the discoveries listed above. The reaction of the IGP was without prejudice to the power of the Commission to recruit for the police as ruled by the Supreme court but this power does not include the power to recruit unqualified and untrained individuals for the police.

“Noting that it is the police that bears the brunt of recruitment of unqualified individuals and not the PSC. The same people who recruited anyhow for the police today will turn round to accuse the police tomorrow of inefficiency when their recruits start messing up.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies and the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the fight against cybercrime, terrorism, and other related crimes.

The Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity), Ajuri Ngelale, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday.

The President spoke during a meeting with FBI Director, Christopher Asher Wray, at the State House in Abuja.

Security chiefs who attended the meeting include the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi; the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd); Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Major-General Emmanuel Undiandeye; Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede; and the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major-General Adamu Laka.

President Tinubu described the presence of the FBI Director alongside his team in Nigeria as a recognition of the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against financial crimes and terrorism.

”It is an honour for me to receive Director Christopher Wray, the leader of an organization that has demonstrated consistent procedural sophistication and a reputation for excellence over several years. Your visit conveys the importance of Nigeria and Nigerian partnership in the work of America’s law enforcement institutions and vice-versa. For us, it is a recognition of what stage we are at, who we are, and the level of interest both countries share in eliminating crimes locally and globally.

”We cannot achieve this important feat of eliminating crimes without collaboration. Incidentally, as the Chairman of ECOWAS, Nigeria is also collaborating with other West African countries to fight economic and other related crimes,” the President said.

President Tinubu told the FBI Director that his administration has prioritized education as a tool against poverty, which is generally believed to be a driver of criminal activities.

”We are working hard to eliminate terrorism, cybercrimes, sextortion, and I am glad that we have a good number of agencies that are involved in reducing these crimes to the barest minimum, and they are also well represented at this meeting,” the President said.

Noting that no single country can combat financial crimes in isolation, President Tinubu called on the United States to support developing countries with the requisite technology and knowledge transfer required to combat complex international crimes.

In his remarks, Director Wray said he was in the country to enhance the “outstanding partnership” that exists between the government of Nigeria and the government of the United States.

He lauded President Tinubu for supporting the growing partnerships between various agencies of government and the FBI in order to protect the citizens of both countries.

”We appreciate the President’s vision in countering terrorism in the region, which is a dangerous threat, not only to the countries in the region but also to the United States.

”We appreciate your vision in re-engineering the role of the Office of the NSA to effectively coordinate efforts on counter-terrorism, and this has already started to bear fruits in terms of the success you are recording against ISIS in West Africa and other terrorist groups.

”We appreciate your support and collaboration on cyber-enabled crimes and sextortion, which has unfortunately resulted in a few tragic deaths in the United States.

”I want to assure you of our support whether it is on counter-terrorism, cyber-enabled crimes, kidnapping, joint investigations, and intelligence sharing. Our relationship with Nigeria is a very important one,” the FBI Director concluded.”

The FBI is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States of America, and its principal federal law enforcement agency.

The Nigerian government, led by President Tinubu, has successfully secured a significant financial boost from the World Bank in the form of a $2.25 billion loan.

This infusion of funds is intended to bolster the country’s foreign exchange reserves and strengthen the overall economy.

Furthermore, a portion of this loan has been specifically allocated for the purpose of providing assistance to those in need, thereby alleviating some of the financial burden on the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Finance Minister Wale Edun played a key role in securing this vital financial support, which is expected to be instrumental in driving the success of President Tinubu’s economic reform agenda.

With these additional resources, the Nigerian government is better equipped to implement the necessary measures to foster sustainable economic growth and improve the well-being of its citizens.