Allegation of corruption, meagre budgetary allocation to Police Divisions fake, misleading – Loui’s Edet House
*As IGP orders for investigation
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Nigeria Police Force has issued a statement by which it debunks a recent article it describes as disparaging against it.
The Loui’s Edet House, seat of the nation’s police headquarters, said the article titled, “Nigeria Police Force Face Funding Scandal: N15,000 Allocation for 3 Months Sparks Corruption Concerns,” published by Ecos Intelligence was considered to be fake, misleading and inaccurate.
In the statement with Ref No. CZ.5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.6/265 dated October 25, 2024 and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, the write up was dismissed as baseless because, according to the Force PRO, “no Divisional Police Officer of the Nigeria Police Force would grant such an interview filled with so many derogatory inaccuracies, unless an impostor.”
According to a copy of the statement sent The DEFENDER on Friday, ACP Adejobi said, “Contrary to the referred published report that Divisional Headquarters receive no budgetary allocation and that officers rely solely on unofficial sources of funds for operations, including bail payments, the Police Authority maintains that Divisional Police Officers receive statutory funding based on established allocations from the Federal allocation coupled with support from their respective State Governments.
“Any contrary assertion as contained in the publication is not only false but a calculated attempt to run down the system and discredit the police authority.”
He said, “Subsequent upon the highly misleading and scandalous publication, the Inspector General of Police has ordered an immediate investigation to identify those responsible for this deliberate misinformation.
“While we acknowledge that inadequate funding has long been a challenge for the police, the current government has demonstrated commitment to increasing funding to enhance operations and improve policing capabilities and overall effectiveness.
“The funding situation, in recent times, has begun to show notable improvement with promising prospects for further enhancement in the upcoming year.”
In the meantime, “The Nigeria Police Force thereby reiterates its commitment to the principle of transparency in the course of discharging its duties and warns mischief makers to desist from attempts to detract and malign its progress, as the Force will not permit malicious individuals to continue to disparage the institution or slander its dedicated officers who toil day and night to secure our nation,” said ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, ACP, mnipr, mipra, fCAI, the Force PRO.
