Group seeks investigation into ‘ghost police officers’ scandal

Nigerian Police Marching. [Photo credit: Pulse.ng]

The Network of Police Reforms in Nigeria has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order an investigation into the more than 80,000 ghost officers discovered in the police payroll.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group said such investigation would demonstrate the government’s seriousness in the fight against corruption.

“This egregious and scandalous act of corruption should not be swept under the carpet,” Okechukwu Nwanguma, NOPRIN’s National Coordinator, said.

“Some people should be held responsible and made to account for this grand corrupt act of self-enrichment. ”

PREMIUM TIMES reported last week how 80,115 ghost officers were discoveredfollowing the integration of the payroll of the Nigeria Police Force into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

The data, obtained from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, showed the staff count of police officers stood at 291,685 with a gross salary of N22.3 billion, as against the 371,800 often quoted as the number of members of the Nigeria Police Force.

In February, there were simultaneous protests in Abuja and Port Harcourt to kick against the planned integration of the police payroll into the IPPIS.

Mr. Nwanguma said the resistance was a clear indication that a powerful clique was involved in perpetuating the fraud.

“The police are charged to prevent crime and to apprehend criminals,” he said.

“When the police themselves become involved in crimes such as this one, then public safety and national security are at great risk.

This is why the president should ensure that this criminal act of cornering public funds using false identities is investigated and all those responsible unraveled and held to account.”