25th August, 2020
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu has denounced reports that he ordered suspension of entry requirement for candidates who applied to join the Nigeria Police Force as Police constables in the ongoing recruitment screening exercise.
Adamu said the statutory entry requirements into the Nigeria Police Force remained sacrosanct and would be thoroughly followed in the ongoing Police recruitment screening exercise.
The IGP, in a statement issued by DCP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, said the need to reassure Nigerians became necessary following news report making the rounds in some sections of the media that he had suspended the entry requirement for candidates who applied to join the Nigeria Police Force as Police constables.
The IGP, while noting that that no one has the powers to alter the conditions for recruitment into the Force – these, having been clearly provided for in Sections 71 – 75 and other relevant sections of the Police Act and Regulations- stated that all candidates who successfully completed the online recruitment registration exercise were invited for physical and credential screening from 24th August, 2020 to 6th September, 2020 at various venues in States across the Federation and the FCT.
“The screening Officers have been directed to allow all the applicants to participate in the exercise and to recommend their suitability or otherwise in the spirit of transparency, accountability and fair hearing using the already established benchmarks as contained in the Act,” he said.
The IGP commended the Screening Officers for the hitch-free take-off of the screening exercise at various locations nationwide, while calling on them to uphold high level of professionalism and observe necessary caution in line with the COVID-19 prevention regulations throughout the period of the exercise.
Meanwhile, the statement said as part of conscious efforts to deepen the integrity of the recruitment process, observers and monitors from the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Police Service Commission and the Federal Character Commission have been invited to provide oversights toward ensuring a credible exercise.