- Recruits at Bauchi Police Training School alleged they were forced to pay up to N250,000 for uniforms, boots, and kits, a claim denied by school authorities
- Legal practitioner Barrister Lawal Ishaq raised concerns, warning that such financial demands could encourage corruption among future officers
- Recruits said poor-quality uniforms forced them to buy extra sets, while the commandant assured all kits are issued free and promised investigation
Bauchi, Bauchi state – Recruits at the Nigeria Police Force Training School in Yelwa, Bauchi state, have alleged that they are being forced to pay up to N250,000.
Legit.ng gathered that the money was for uniforms, boots, and other kits that should ordinarily be provided free of charge.
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As reported by Daily Trust that the financial burden is unbearable for them and their families. However, the school authorities have denied the claims.
Legal practitioner raises alarm over alleged extortion
Barrister Lawal Ishaq sounded the alarm after a woman approached him for financial assistance for her son, who is currently undergoing police training at the school.
“I was in my office when a woman I had previously assisted came to me. She said her son, who is in the police training school in Bauchi, had called to request N250,000 for uniforms, boots, and jackets,” Ishaq said.
He added:
“She begged me to help him. I called the boy myself, and he confirmed that the money was for those items. I was shocked because this is a newly recruited constable we are talking about.”
Ishaq expressed concern that if recruits face such huge financial demands during training, they might be pushed into corrupt practices once they graduate and assume official duties.
Recruits speak on financial burden
Some prospective constables, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they were required to provide additional sets of uniforms to cope with training demands.
“What they give us only lasts a few months, so you have to buy new sets with your own money. Failure to do so could jeopardise your training,” one recruit said, adding that they often seek financial support from parents or well-wishers.
Another recruit explained,
“It is a difficult situation because, while you are happy to have been enlisted, you must find money to buy the required uniforms since the ones issued on arrival are of poor quality. If you fail to do so, you risk being excluded from training.”
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Recruits also said they were not allowed to buy uniforms outside the school, leaving them with no choice but to comply. Boots are officially issued only after graduation, forcing many to purchase theirs during training. The N250,000 fee was described as “too exorbitant.”
School authorities deny allegations
The Commandant of the Bauchi Police Training School, Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdullahi Umar Tambuwal, dismissed the allegations.
“If such things happen, I don’t know. But it is not true. All students receive their uniforms and kits free of charge. We even provide them with three square meals daily. The uniforms are transported from Abuja to Bauchi, and everything is issued without payment,” Tambuwal said.
He added that with more than 700 recruits in training, it would be impossible for him or his officers to extort such huge sums.
Tambuwal promised to investigate the matter and warned that any officer found guilty of extortion would face sanctions.
He also urged parents to disregard such “false claims” and cautioned recruits against making spurious financial demands from their families.
Police recruitment: PSC gives new update
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced plans to decentralise recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from 2025, giving state recruitment desk officers a greater role in the process.
PSC spokesperson Mr Ikechukwu Ani disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, following a stakeholders’ meeting with representatives from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Source: Legit.ng