BAUCHI: The Bauchi State Police Command has dismissed reports alleging that recruits at the Nigeria Police Force Training School, Yelwa, Bauchi, are being forced to pay N250,000 for uniforms, boots, and other training kits.
The reports, widely circulated on social media, claimed that some recruits complained of being compelled to provide funds for items that are ordinarily issued free of charge.
One of the reports also quoted a legal practitioner, Barrister Lawal Ishaq, who said he was approached by a woman seeking financial assistance after her son allegedly requested N250,000 to cover the cost of uniforms and equipment at the training institution.
Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
However, the Commandant of the Bauchi Police Training School, ACP Abdullahi Umar Tambuwal, refuted the allegations, describing them as baseless.
“If such occurrences exist, I am unaware of them. It is not true that recruits are required to pay for uniforms and kits. All trainees receive their uniforms and meals free of charge. We provide three square meals daily, and the uniforms are transported from Abuja to Bauchi and issued without payment,” he stated.
Tambuwal added that with over 700 recruits currently in training, it would be “logically impossible” for officers to extort such a huge sum from trainees.
The Police Command, under Commissioner of Police CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, also reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on corruption, stressing that the allegations were misleading and aimed at discrediting the institution and the Nigeria Police Force at large.
The Command further urged the public to be wary of misinformation and called on the media to uphold professional standards in their reporting.
Meanwhile, CP Aliyu has constituted an investigative panel to probe the claims. He assured that any officer found culpable of extortion would face appropriate disciplinary action.
