Senate asks Buhari, Nigerian Police to suspend police recruitment

The Senate has demanded that the recruitment of 10,000 personnel into the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, be suspended.

The Senate, it was gathered, cited irregularity in the criteria set for the exercise.

Senate Committee on Police gave the suspension order in a letter it wrote to the Police Service Commission, PSC, last week and also forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari.

After initial hiccups, the recruitment, which finally took off in August, was discovered to be lopsided.

Earlier, stakeholders had agreed that the recruitment would be based on local government areas, Daily Trust reports.

But the commission allegedly decided to base the exercise on equal number per state, claiming orders from above.

Protests letters were sent to the Senate, with stakeholders demanding that the commission restricts itself to the recruitment of cadet ASPs, its statutory responsibility, while Force Headquarters handles the enlistment of those on inspectorate cadre and below.

Already, the presidency has reportedly directed the PSC Chairman, Mike Okiro, to explain the flaw pointed out by the red chamber.

Reacting, PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, said the recruitment exercise had not been suspended.

Checks and recent events counter his position as there had been no major news on the recruitment since applicants wrote their aptitude tests late August.

An applicant of Akwa Ibom origin, who wrote the test, confirmed to DAILY POST that neither he nor those he exchanged contact with have been contacted.

“They told us they will invite us for the next stage, but nothing yet. Last week, I called some guys I met at the venue and they too said they have not received any update,” he disclosed.