Bribery: PSC begins probe, calls for evidence

The newly appointed Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase, has set up a panel to investigate alleged money-for-promotion against the commission by some police officers.

He has also called on those with evidence of money-for-promotion to come up with it.

Some senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had reportedly called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the promotion exercise going on in the force, alleging that officers pay up to $10,000 to get elevated.

But a commissioner in PSC, Austin Adogame, has denied the allegation.

Spokesman for the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, in a rejoinder, said: “The attention of PSC has been drawn to a publication by Sahara Reporters of Tuesday, April 11, 2023 on a story, ‘Exclusive: Bribery Scandal Rocks Nigeria Police Service Commission As Officers Allegedly pay $10,000 to get Promotion’. According to the story, a nebulous group parading as aggrieved officers of NPF alleged that the commission gave special promotions to junior officers above senior ones after allegedly collecting $10,000 bribe.

“In a statement by one Chijioke Okonkwo (no rank indicated), on behalf of other officers, urged the Presidency to probe the corrupt practices in the Force.”

The commission denied selling police promotions and would not start when deliberate effort were being made to reposition and reinvigorate the force, especially with the assumption of duty of Arase as chairman of the commission.

“At the time of this statement, the commission has not formally received any formal petition or complaint on this allegation.

“The said Okonkwo, who posed and signed off on behalf of other officers, forgot that he is a serving police officer and did not indicate his rank. He forgot the line of communication for police officers, which also guides the public service,” it added.

Meanwhile, Arase, while assuring members of the public of his administration’s readiness to sanitise the system, has urged staff of the commission to live above board at all times in the discharge of their responsibilities, as bribery and corruption of any kind would not be tolerated under his watch.