The Police Service Commission (PSC), led by former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr Solomon Arase; and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba have commenced a joint investigation into allegations by some aggrieved police personnel that commission, working in partnership with officers at Force headquarters, collected bribes to the tune of $10,000 for promotion.
A source at the PSC disclosed that the decision to embark on a joint investigation followed the fact that officials of both the PSC and the Police Force Secretary department were fingered in the allegation.
The source said: “You know Dr Arase is a no-nonsense senior officer who was acclaimed for ensuring that justice is done with regards to promotions in the Nigerian Police force during his time as IGP.
”In fact, his recent call on the Police management to address issues of pending disciplinary cases, so that the backlog would not affect officers due for promotions, is in that light.
“So the investigations have commenced getting to the root of the matter and soon, you will hear the outcome because nothing will be swept under the carpet”.
In a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari, the aggrieved police officers had pleaded with him to institute an investigation into the alleged collection of $10,000 bribe for police promotion, noting that it had resulted in a situation where junior officers were promoted over and above their seniors to cause disaffection in the force.
The officers said there was an urgent need for President Buhari to look into the promotion going on in the force.
A statement by one Mr Chijioke Okonkwo, on behalf of other officers in Akure, the Ondo State capital, had noted that there were a lot of corrupt practices and injustices going on in the force which needed the attention of the Presidency.
The petition read: “There is serious corruption in the Nigeria Police in the ongoing promotion of senior police officers. Junior ones are being given special promotions ahead of their seniors.
“Of recent, two aides of a senior officer, who were earlier promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police in year 2018, recently benefited from the special promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner and have their date of promotion backdated to 13/07/2021″.
Meanwhile, Arase, and four former Inspectors General of Police, including Mike Okiro, Sunday Ehindero, Ogbonna Onovo, Suleiman Abba as well as the current IGP on Wednesday held a meeting on the state of the Nigeria Police Force.
At the meeting, which was held at the permanent site of the Police Service Commission, Jabi, Abuja, Ehindero, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the meeting deliberated on contemporary problems affecting the Police force.
