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Bribery, extortion scandals rock Police constables recruitment

Published

6 months ago

December 18, 2024

Candidates forced to pay millions of Naira into private accounts

There are indications that the controversy that dogged the recent attempt by the federal government to recruit 10,000 Constables for the Nigerian Police Force has taken a fresh twist as the Police Service Commission (PSC) is reportedly investigating some officers who abused the recruitment exercise to become millionaires.

One of the officers (name withheld), who has been fingered as the brain box of the syndicate, has reportedly been suspended as the PSC launched an investigation into the matter.

The PSC, it was gathered, is investigating how the syndicate was able to manipulate what they assumed was “the water-tight result” of a CBT test which erstwhile chairman, Dr. Solomon Arase, begged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to conduct for the PSC.

PSC sources revealed that a Supritendent of Police who until recently was in the training department at the Force headquarters, is currently facing investigation for allegedly being the conduit through which huge sums of monies were channelled to insert the names of unqualified applicants into a dedicated police recruitment portal outside the one set up by the PSC.

PSC investigations, it was gathered, uncovered a particular private bank account which members of the syndicate made thousands of candidates pay monies into. The investigators linked the bank account to a certain Abuja-based hotel which the now suspended officer claimed belonged to his brother.

The officer, it was further gathered, is believed to be close to top brass of the police establishment. “He is so confident that his connections would save him, the result of the investigation notwithstanding,” offered a PSC official, who added that “he is so powerful that he even threatened to remove any PSC officer the same way he removed Dr. Solomon Arase as PSC chairman”.

Thr new PSC heiriarchy is reportedly astonished that whereas neither the police nor the PSC engaged the services of consultants to aid in the recruitment, a Sergeant who enjoys the protection of a serving AIG, without any approval, engaged the services of two consultants: Clickers Digital System with a GTBank number and Elite Palace with an FCMB account, through which huge sums of money were collected from prospective applicants.

Sources familiar with the investigation also revealed that the officer who has being transfered out of the headquarters to a North East state to allow for proper investigation by the PSC, may not be working alone.

A high ranking police officer from the Southeast said to have been the architect of the syndicate, PSC sources added, used his position and charm to make several State Governors from his zone, to allegedly part with large sums of money to fill their state’s slots with unqualified candidates into the recruitment list.

Recall that in March, 171,956 candidates drawn from all the 774 local government areas in the country sat for the PSC-CTB examinations conducted by JAMB. The Commission was scouring for 10,000 candidates who passed the CBT for enlistment as Constables into the Nigerian Police Force.

Dr. Arase, as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), served as the Inspector- General of Police in 2015. While justifying the need to get JAMB to conduct the examination, he said “Nigeria needs the right police personnel with mental mobility and fertile minds to relate effectively with the public.”

Arase’s insistence on a transparent and professional recruitment process apparently didn’t sit well with some top politicians and police top brass who allegedly wanted to hijack the process and handle the recruitment themselves.

According to sources in the Commission, Arase was convinced that if the problem of the Police was to be tackled on a long term basis, it must be tackled at the recruitment level especially those at the lower and mid cadre of the force,

“As a former Inspector General of Police, he understood the problem and was willing to do his best to solve it. He wanted the recruitment exercise to be based on merit and due process. He wanted those who wrote the computer-based assessment test and made the cutoff mark to be the ones considered for recruitment into the force.

“There were clear criteria outlined for the exercise. In each state of the federation those who made the cutoff marks were to be prioritized. There was also consideration for female candidates to ensure gender balance. This is the first time the Commission was carrying out a recruitment process in line with its mandate, and Dr. Arase wanted to set a standard that was to become the basic minimum,” stated the source.

Arase lost in the intrigues and powerplay between the Commission and the Nigeria Police Force and was in July replaced by Hashim Argungu, a retired deputy Inspector-General of Police.

Not long after the assumption of office of the new PCS chairman, he, like Arase, was confronted with the controversies facing the recruitment process.

Investigation showed that not long after Arase left office, the police heirachy jettisoned the CBT test carried out by the PSC under him and opted to use a different list for the exercise.

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FG Arraigns Kogi Central Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan Over Assassination Claim

Published

4 days ago

June 19, 2025

Daily Mirror

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Wednesday on a three-count charge of alleged defamation against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.

The senator, representing Kogi Central, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of ₦50 million.

The court premises witnessed heightened security as the high-profile case unfolded, highlighting escalating tensions between key figures in Nigeria’s political elite.

The Federal Government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Abubakar, filed the charges stemming from public statements made by Akpoti-Uduaghan during a Channels Television programme and a private phone call earlier this year.

She is accused of alleging that Akpabio and Bello conspired to assassinate her, disguising it as a local mob attack—an accusation the prosecution contends was defamatory and knowingly injurious to their reputations.

The charges, brought under Sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code, are being closely watched, particularly given their political backdrop.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, who appeared in court at around 10:30 AM, had previously avoided arrest after the court declined the prosecution’s request for a warrant, citing improper service of court summons. A substituted service granted on June 16 enabled the case to proceed.

The case adds to a growing list of controversies involving Senate President Akpabio, who has consistently faced allegations since taking office.

In early 2025, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan publicly accused Akpabio of sexual harassment, claiming her suspension from the Senate was a retaliatory act. Akpabio denied the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated.

Further controversy erupted after UK-based activist Dr Sandra Duru accused Akpabio of being linked to organ harvesting—a claim linked to the murder of Iniubong Umoren. The Umoren family dismissed the allegations, and no official investigation corroborated them. Dr Duru now features as a potential witness in the defamation trial.

Akpabio has also been entangled in electoral fraud claims and recent allegations of bribery involving the Rivers State emergency declaration—claims he has repeatedly denied.

His supporters argue the accusations are targeted attempts to discredit his leadership, while critics view them as part of a concerning pattern of alleged misconduct.

The trial of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is more than a courtroom affair; it reflects deeper questions of integrity and power within Nigeria’s political class.

With the country watching closely, the outcome of this legal battle could influence public trust in both the judiciary and the broader democratic process.

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COVEC Signs Agricultural Innovation Deals at CAETE 2025, Changsha

Published

2 weeks ago

June 12, 2025

Daily Mirror

At the ongoing China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) 2025 in China, the Niger State Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (NS SAPZ) and the China Overseas Engineering Group (COVEC) signed agreements with nine leading agro-industrial processing companies.

The agreements formalize these companies’ readiness to co-locate within the NS SAPZ, focusing on agricultural value chains, including maize processing, soybean processing, rice production, wheat production, and power supply infrastructure.

What Niger State stands to benefit from this are:

Generate employment opportunities, and
Enhance the state’s agro-industrial capacity.
Boosting food processing capabilities and power supply,
The partnerships will also improve food security and long-term economic growth.
Position Niger State as one of the leading hubs for agro-industrial development in West Africa.

The signing was witnessed by the Honourable Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investmen, Hon. Aminu Suleman Takuma the Chairman of the NS SAPZ, Yomi Akopo

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3 Billion Dollar Refinery Fraud: Lawyers, CSOs Return to EFCC to Demand Arrest of Former NNPCL Boss, Mele Kyari

Published

2 weeks ago

June 10, 2025

Daily Mirror

A group of lawyers and concerned Nigerian youths have returned to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja to demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

The group, led by Barr Ojonugwa Benjamine Theophilus, submitted a petition to the EFCC on April 25, 2025, alleging that Kyari misappropriated billions of dollars during his tenure as NNPC boss.

However, 46 days after submitting the petition, the group claims that no concrete action has been taken by the EFCC.

“We are here today as a group of lawyers and concerned Nigerian youths to follow up on our earlier petition, with the above title, submitted and received by the commission on the 25th of April, 2025,” Theophilus said.

“It is now 46days since we submitted our petition which contained details of the billions of dollars that were allegedly misappropriated by Mele Kolo Kyari during his time as Group CEO of NNCL, and yet no concrete action or steps seems to have been taken by this commission to assuage the grievances of majority of Nigerians who demand accountability from public office holders.

“We are also chagrined that despite our well written petition, detailing allegations of misappropriation of funds, tax evasion, economic sabotage and abuse of office by the former NNPCL group CEO, the EFCC is yet to officially invite Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari for questioning.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us and we all have a stake in the growth and development of this country. While we appreciate the role the EFCC is playing and has continued to play in ridding this country of the fangs of corruption, we wish to demand the immediate arrest and diligent prosecution of Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari, to answer to the monumental economic and financial crimes he is alleged to have committed against the Nigerian state. “

The group therefore called on the EFCC to act swiftly to restore public trust and demonstrate its commitment to fighting corruption.