Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered an investigation into those responsible for the circulated publication that alleged ill-funding of policemen, describing it as malicious and misleading.
In a statement released on Friday through the agency’s Facebook account, the force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, described the publication titled “Nigeria Police Force Faces Funding Scandal: N15,000 Allocation for 3 Months Sparks Corruption Concerns” as fake and inaccurate.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Adejobi stated that no Divisional Police Officer would grant an interview except an impostor, noting several derogatory inaccuracies in the publication.
Explaining further, ACP Adejobi noted that the report claimed Divisional Headquarters receives no budgetary allocation and that officers rely solely on unofficial sources of funds for operations, including bail payments.
The statement read, “Contrary to the published report suggesting 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 Government, coupled with support from their respective state governments.”
Addressing the claim, Adejobi said the report stemmed from a calculated attempt to damage the system and discredit the police authority, describing it as deliberate misinformation.
“While we acknowledge that inadequate funding has long been a challenge for the police, the current government has demonstrated a 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,” the NPF spokesman wrote.
Emphasizing the security force’s commitment, the NPF reiterated its principle of transparency in service delivery and warned mischief-makers to refrain from spreading propaganda.
Additionally, the NPF disapproves of such acts and will not permit any malicious behaviour.
By Helen Okechukwu
