The Nigeria Police Force has raised concerns over alleged irregularities and corruption in the recently released list of successful candidates for the 2022/23 police constables recruitment. The rejection follows numerous complaints from unsuccessful candidates and stakeholders about the disappearance of names of those who had successfully progressed through the screening stages.
In a press statement on Saturday, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, highlighted several anomalies discovered in the published list. “Several names of persons purported to be successful candidates are those who did not even apply and therefore did not take part in the recruitment exercise,” Adejobi stated.
He further revealed that the list included names of candidates who had failed the Computer Based Test (CBT) or the physical screening, as well as those disqualified due to medical unfitness. “Most worrisome is the allegation of financial dealings and corrupt practices leading to the outcome where unqualified and untrainable individuals have been shortlisted,” he added.
Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun, had formally objected to the list in a letter to the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) on June 10, citing the discovered irregularities. Adejobi emphasized that the objection was made with respect to the PSC’s authority to recruit for the police, as ruled by the Supreme Court, but noted that this authority does not extend to recruiting unqualified and untrainable individuals.
“The reaction of the IGP was without prejudice to the power of the commission to recruit for the police, but this power does not include the power to recruit unqualified and untrained individuals for the police,” Adejobi clarified. He also pointed out that it is the police who bear the consequences of recruiting unqualified individuals, as they are later held accountable for inefficiencies resulting from such recruits.
Dissociating the police from the published list, Adejobi called for a transparent and credible review of the recruitment process. The aim, he said, is to recruit “qualified, competent, trainable, and productive hands into the Nigeria Police Force, in line with the vision of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration on police reform.”
He reassured the public that the police are committed to ensuring a thorough review of the process to achieve fruitful and successful recruitment, ultimately benefiting the force and the nation.
This development underscores the ongoing challenges in the recruitment process and highlights the need for stringent measures to ensure transparency and meritocracy in the enlistment of new constables.
