News
Police Service Commission asks FG to stop 10,000 constables salaries
The Police Service Commission has asked the Accountant-General of the Federation to halt the capture of 10,000 constables who recently graduated from police training colleges on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System.
The commission stated that the police officers had not been issued their letters of appointment and should not be enrolled on the payment portal.
According to the Public Service Rules, public officers not captured on the IPPIS cannot be paid salaries and other emoluments.
The development followed the alleged refusal of the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to submit their names to the PSC for vetting on the grounds that he was empowered by the Police Act, 2020 to recruit constables into the force.
The commission has also written to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Head of Service, Folasade Yemi-Esan about the enrolment of 20,000 police officers on the salary portal without letters of appointment.
The personnel were recruited in 2020 and 2021.
The face-off between the police authorities and the commission is a spill-over of their supremacy fight over the right to recruit constables.
Though the Court of Appeal September 30, 2020 ruled that the commission had the constitutional mandate to recruit constables, the NPF had gone ahead with the recruitment process in defiance of the court order.
Last year, the police appealed against the judgment to the Supreme Court, two years after the order was handed down.
Before its appeal and in spite of the court order restraining the police from conducting constables’ recruitment, the authorities had recruited a total of 10,000 constables in the 2020 recruitment exercise.
In 2020 and 2021, two batches of 20,000 cops were recruited without the active involvement of the PSC under a former IG, Musiliu Smith, who resigned in September, 2022, on the grounds of ill-health.
The Commissioner 1 in the PSC, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, replaced Smith in acting capacity pending the appointment of a new chairman by the President.
2022 exercise
The 2022 exercise has been in limbo after the police and the commission clashed when the former disowned the newspaper advertisement on the recruitment placed by the PSC.
The PUNCH learnt that protests by the police service commission last year about the illegality of the IPPIS enrolment were waved aside by the unit which had also concluded the capturing of the 2021 exercise.
It was gathered that the police authorities had successfully captured the 2020 and 2021 recruits despite the refusal of the PSC to authorise their enrolment on the Federal Government payment portal due to the disagreement between the police and the commission.
Among other requirements, a staff letter or gazette of first appointment is required for enrolment on IPPIS.
Sources disclosed that the commission complained about the development to the President and the HoS last year, but nothing was done about it as the constables were paid their salaries.
A senior official said, “The officers were enrolled on the IPPIS platform despite the refusal of the PSC to issue appointment letters to them.
“So far, the Federal Government has enrolled 20,000 police constables who have no appointment letters on its salary payment portal in violation of its financial regulations and the Public Service Rules.
“Last year, we wrote to the Accountant-General and the IPPIS to stop the salaries of the constables, but this was not done. This is the second time we have complained to the government about this illegality. The police usually send their officials to the training colleges to enrol the constables on the IPPIS without the appointment letters.’’
When asked about the enrolment of constables on the IPPIS without the required documents, the Head of Communications, Head of Service, Mohammed Ahmed, said only the IPPIS department could respond to the issue.
“How can you enrol somebody on the platform that is not qualified?,’’ he said in a shocked voice. ‘’It is when you come to the office and meet the IPPIS people; I’m not with the IPPIS. Come and ask them any questions you have,’’ he added.
The PUNCH could not confirm if the Accountant-General’s office had implemented the PSC request on suspension of salaries to the police officers as a new accountant- general had yet to be appointed. Also, the office has no spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the IG has dismissed the PSC’s request for the constables’ lists.
He told the commission in a letter dated January 13, 2023 that he was empowered by the Police Act, 2020 to recruit constables, stressing that the enlisted officers did not need appointment letters but attestation.
But the commission in its response again asked the IG to submit the list of newly recruited constables for vetting after which they would be issued appointment letters.
It cautioned him to stop the capturing of persons unknown to the PSC into the salary platform.
PSC writes IG
The letter dated January 17, 2023, was titled, ‘Re: Request to stop the capturing of persons who are unknown to the Police Service Commission into IPPIS payment platform as Police Officers.’
It was signed by the Director, Recruitment, Ferdinand Ekpe, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the commission.
The agency reminded the IG of the subsisting decision of the Court of Appeal judgment in suit no. CA/A/84/2020 dated September 30, 2020 which it reproduced.
The letter stated in part, “Particularly worthy of note is the order of perpetual injunction restraining the police, jointly and severally, from interfering or further interfering in any manner howsoever with the discharge of the commission’s Constitutional and statutory functions in respect of the appointment, promotion, dismissal, or exercise of disciplinary control over persons holding or aspiring to hold offices in the Nigeria Police Force other than the Inspector General of Police.
“In addition to paragraph (4) above, based on precedence and the law, only an appointment letter issued by PSC can validate the appointment of any police officer into the Nigeria Police Force and subsequent capturing into the IPPIS payment platform to earn any form of emolument from the Federal Government of Nigeria. (Letters were issued to the 2016, 2018 and 2019 police constables) and used for enrolment into the IPPIS payment platform.
“Furthermore, you are invited to recall that preceding the enrolment of all police officers into the IPPIS payment platform from the year 2016, all those who had no appointment letters from the commission had to be revalidated by the commission as a prerequisite for capturing into the IPPIS payment platform and qualification to earn salaries legitimately.
“It is a standard practice that as oversight body on NPF, the PSC’s letters must be used to validate the candidates and confirm their enlistment into the Nigeria Police Force before they can be enrolled into the IPPIS payment platform, hence our several letters to you requesting for the lists of police constables who were recruited into the 2020 and 2021 exercises. The lists, which for unknown reasons, you have failed to produce.
“Finally, Transparency and Accountability which are the twin pillars of anti- corruption and the core values of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, demands that the above due processes must be respected and upheld by the NPF as the Chief Law Enforcement Agency in Nigeria.’’
Several PSC officials have expressed apprehension over the refusal of the police to release the constables’ lists, citing security concerns and likely non-compliance with the Federal Character law.
“It is obvious that the recruitment was not based on the requisite criteria and that is why they wouldn’t want to release the list to the PSC. It was supposed to be on the equality of local government areas at 10 persons per LG.
‘’Many LGs and states were short-changed and there were some disturbing reports and viral videos that suspected Boko Haram elements and other outlaws might have found their way into the police through the recruitment,’’ an official said.
Commission justifies letter
But the PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, justified the PSC’s letter to the IG. “The commission feels that the constables must have their letters of appointment before they can be captured on IPPIS. I believe the commission did the right thing by insisting on the letters.”
He, however, said he was not aware of the letter to the accountant-general.
But top source, in the commission said, ,”We wrote to the accountant-general and also to the head of service and I think the head of service asked the IPPIS to stop capturing the constables and without the IPPIS capture, you cannot be paid salaries.”
The force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, could not be reached for comments on the alleged refusal of the police to provide the lists of constables for vetting.
He did not respond to calls to his phone and he had yet to reply to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of filing this report.
A lawyer, Dr Daniel Makolo, said he was not shocked by the police refusal to obey the court judgment, noting that the impunity in the country started seven years ago.
He stated, “Nigeria has been on autopilot for the past seven years. This government started with lawlessness, without regard for the constitution. So, I’m not surprised that the IG could disobey the order of the Court of Appeal.
“The impunity in the country has extended to all sectors. We are in a country where the CBN could give loans to the Federal Government in violation of the extant laws regulating such loans. We are in a country where the Federal Character law is not respected. So, for the IG to enrol 20,000 constables on the IPPIS without appointment letters; only God knows how many constables were recruited.’’
PUNCH
• Women, children flee Barkin Ladi as gunshots persist
• I’ll protect our people with all I have — Mutfwang
At least nine persons have been killed in fresh attacks in Barkin Ladi, Riyom and neighbouring communities in Plateau State between Saturday night and Sunday morning, triggering tension and evacuation of women and children.
Five of the victims were passengers travelling to Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area when they were attacked on Saturday night, while two others, including a pastor, were reportedly killed on their way to church at Dorowa Babuje yesterday morning.
A woman was also reportedly killed at Baten Wereng in Riyom LGA on Saturday night, September 19, while another person was killed at Ratyidi in Fan District.
Several cattle were also reportedly killed or stolen at Dorowa Maranba and the Kantoma axis at about 3 a.m. on Sunday.
National President of the Mwaghavul Development Association, MDA, Bulus Dabit, confirmed the killing of the five persons at Gana-Ropp, condemning the attack and calling on security operatives to arrest the perpetrators.
Pyem Youth Leader in Gana-Ropp, Ukasha Garaba, said: “We evacuated the corpses of five persons from Gana-Ropp.
They were passengers who were travelling as labourers.
”Spokesman of the Berom Youth Moulders, BYM, Rwang Tengwong, also confirmed the attacks and condemned the killings, describing them as worrisome and unacceptable.
Meanwhile, tension has gripped Dorowa Bubuje community in Barkin Ladi following renewed gunshots reportedly heard from the direction of Kantoma, forcing women and children to flee to safer locations.
A community member, Lawrence Shong, said: “As I speak to you, at about 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, we are still hearing sounds of gunshots. Women and children are currently being evacuated because of the ongoing attack.”
Tengwong, who was at the community, said: “Military personnel have been drafted to the community, and what we need now is sustained security deployment to protect the people and prevent further attacks.”
Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, in Barkin Ladi, Gambo Abubakar, also confirmed reports of cattle being stolen in the area and urged security agencies to investigate.
Reacting to the attacks, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, on Sunday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
Mutfwang, who spoke amid renewed attacks in parts of the state, said he would not abandon his responsibility of securing the people, insisting that Plateau would not be defeated by violence or the gun.
The Governor spoke at the 2026 Plateau Annual Convention of the General Council of the Assemblies of God Nigeria, North East Zone, held at the Assemblies of God Nigeria, Jos District Headquarters, Gyel, along the Bukuru Expressway, Jos South Local Government Area.
The convention was held under the theme, “Breaking Barriers into Your Next Level.”
Mutfwang said his administration had continued to work with security agencies to confront perpetrators of violence and restore lasting peace across the state.”
“I cannot abandon my responsibility of securing the people of Plateau State. We will protect our people with all that we have, within the ambit of the law. Plateau State will not be defeated by violence or the gun. We must remain united because our collective strength is critical to overcoming the challenges confronting us.”
“We are ready to die here,” miners return to site
That was the grim declaration of some teenage and adult miners who returned to the M.I. Wushishi mining site in Minna, Niger State, even as the mass arrest of suspected illegal miners was still underway, insisting that they had no other means of livelihood.
The miners returned to the site despite the arrest of scores of their colleagues by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the subsequent deaths of 37 of those detained.
Many of the miners, including boys, women and adults, were seen working at the site on Saturday, digging for gold with shovels, picks and other hand tools.
Some of them said they had returned to the mining site on the same day the NSCDC carried out the mass arrests, arguing that abandoning mining would leave them without any source of income.
Their return came after the NSCDC conducted operations around the Lt. Gen. Mohammed Inuwa Wushishi Estate in Minna on September 15 and 16.
The corps said the operation led to the arrest of suspected illegal miners.
Suberu Aniviye, the suspended NSCDC commandant in Niger State, subsequently said “scores” of the detained suspects were found dead in the early hours of Thursday following a suspected outbreak of disease.
However, the deaths did not stop some miners from returning to the site.
During a visit to the M.I. Wushishi mining site on Saturday, no security personnel were seen in the area, while miners continued their activities.
Some scooped loose soil into sacks and pans, while others used a flowing stream to separate the excavated material. Piles of freshly dug earth and muddy soil were scattered across the site.
One of the miners, Salisu DanMallam, said he was not at the site when the arrests were made but stayed away for two days because of the NSCDC operation.
“I wasn’t here when the incident happened on Monday and they made the arrest,” he said.
“I did not come out again since they made the arrest. I was not here on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the way the civil defence raided and that was why I did not come out.”
DanMallam, who said he had been mining in the area for more than 15 years, said staying away from the site had immediately affected his livelihood.
“If you don’t come out for a day or two you will feel it because there are no profitable jobs,” he said.
He said the miners had developed close relationships over the years, describing them as a family despite not being related by blood.
“We just treat each other like family here,” he said.
“I don’t have direct blood among those who died in the custody of NSCDC.”
DanMallam said he was still unable to establish the number of miners who had died or remained in detention following the arrests.
“I have not ascertained the number of people who are dead or alive. I know that some people were arrested but I haven’t seen them,” he said.
He also said miners in the area avoided digging deep into the earth because of the risk of landslides.
“Even if we dig, we don’t dig beyond our knee level. We don’t dig much because of landslide,” he said.
DanMallam said he also worked as a driver for a block-making business but found the job unprofitable compared with mining.
Another miner, 26-year-old Buhari Rabiu, said he had spent about two years working at the site.
Rabiu said he and others fled the area after receiving information that NSCDC officers were approaching.
“I was informed earlier that the officers were coming. One of the women informed us, and we left,” he said.
“Not long after we left, we heard that civil defence was arresting us.”
Rabiu also alleged that he had previously been arrested and assaulted by NSCDC personnel during a raid on suspected illegal miners.
He claimed that he sustained injuries during the encounter and was taken to hospital for treatment before his release after his parents intervened.
“When my parents wanted to bail me, they insisted that NSCDC must treat me. They took me to the hospital to stitch my wounds,” he said.
Rabiu further alleged that N120,000 was collected for his release.
He also alleged that one of his friends was shot at close range by NSCDC personnel during an encounter with miners.
“They did not even want to grant me bail. It was barely four weeks ago. I was there for four days at the time. They did not grant me bail until my relative arrived,” he said.
Rabiu added that his involvement in mining had prevented him from working as a truck pusher at the market. (Vanguard)
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested and detained 24 personnel in connection with the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in Niger State, parading the suspended Niger State Commandant, Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, and 23 other officers at the Corps Headquarters in Abuja.
The Corps also ordered the service flag to fly at half-mast across all commands and formations for three days. Commandant General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said due process, transparency and accountability would be strictly followed in the investigation of the personnel currently held in the custody of the Corps, adding that every personnel found culpable would face the full weight of internal disciplinary measures and the law.
The Corps Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant Babawale Afolabi, while parading the officers and men at the Corps Headquarters, disclosed that, as against the initial figure of 21 personnel, three more personnel identified had also been placed on suspension, bringing the total to 24 personnel.
The spokesman explained that “in a swift and decisive joint operation conducted in conjunction with the Commandant General’s Special Investigation Squad (SIS), all officers and men of the Niger State Command linked to the gross misconduct have, since the 17th September 2026, been taken into protective custody at the National Headquarters, Abuja, where they are undergoing rigorous interrogation and administrative disciplinary action, so as to make them available for the Presidential Independent Investigation Committee and other investigation panels for further investigation and possible prosecution.”
According to him, in a solemn demonstration of the Corps’ grief, institutional remorse and absolute disapproval of the incident, the Commandant General ordered that the NSCDC flag be flown at half-mast across all formations for three days, starting from Sunday, 20th September 2026, to signal the Corps’ collective mourning and its unwavering resolve to purge the system of bad eggs.
He said, “as a Corps built on integrity, professionalism, discipline, and absolute respect for the rule of law, we do not condone unprofessional conduct, high-handedness, or any action that undermines the fundamental rights of citizens or the sacred trust reposed in us.”
The Corps pledged to continue to keep the public abreast of the outcome of the investigation, adding that the leadership of the NSCDC remained unwavering in its commitment to transparency, human rights protection and professional ethics. He also appreciated the patience and understanding of Nigerians during the internal re-evaluation.
The 24 personnel named in connection with the incident are Commandant Subaru Siyaka Aniviye, suspended NSCDC Niger State Commandant; DCC Ajayi Philips, Head of Department (HOD), Intelligence and Investigation; DCC John Agrahau Chagwa, HOD, Operations; DCC Obafemi Elvis; ACC Stephen Tsado, Officer in Charge (O/C), Legal; CSC Oluwadare Sunday; CSC Annas Shittu Lamino; SC Usman Isah Ndamaka; DSC Aminu Sule Garba; DSC Musa Marafa; DSC Isah Sulaiman; ASCI Hassan Muhammad; ASCI Alhassan Muhammad; Aliyu Sallah, on guard duty; IC Abdullahi Sale; IC Mohammed N. Sonfada; Mohammed Jiya; Sale Adamu; Haruna Muhammed; CCA Baba Muhamma; CAI Isah Sanusi; CAI Liman Abubakar; CAI Bala Usman; and CAI Ahmed Wushishi.
Regarding DCC Ajayi Philips and DCC John Agrahau Chagwa, the Corps attributed their inclusion to “lack of supervision” in their respective departments.
The 37 detainees died days after they were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations conducted by the NSCDC in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16.
The NSCDC had initially attributed the deaths to a suspected disease outbreak, saying the actual cause of death would be established through medical examination
Kogi State has been thrown into mourning as former Governor of the state, Ibrahim Idris, fondly called Ibro, has reportedly died in the United Kingdom at 77.
Sources broke the sad news on Sunday, with details of his passing still sketchy as of press time.
Though details regarding the latest development are still sketchy, family sources said Idris had suffered protracted illness.
Meanwhile, incumbent Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has condoled with the former governor’s family.
In his condolence message, Ododo described the late lawmaker as a man who had made meaningful contributions in politics and business.
The governor also recalled his last meeting with the ex-governor in March 2024 during a visit involving political stakeholders from Omala Local Government Area.
Ibro was not just a governor. He was an institution.
From businessman to political colossus, Idris stormed Kogi politics in 2003 when he floored incumbent Abubakar Audu to emerge governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
What followed was a turbulent, dramatic reign.
His 2007 re-election was nullified by the courts after Audu was excluded from the ballot. The Court of Appeal in February 2008 ordered a fresh election. Idris fought back and won the March 2008 re-run, holding on to power until January 2012 when he handed over to Captain Idris Wada.
Born in Idah in 1949, Idris built his name in business before politics — founder of Ibro Trading Company, with tentacles in construction, furniture and hospitality.
He built a furniture factory in Sokoto and Ibro Hotel, reputed to be the first three-star hotel in old Sokoto State.
Fate tested him in 2006 when three of his daughters miraculously survived the ill-fated ADC Airlines Flight 53 crash that killed 96 others. A grateful Ibro called it a “superlative show of mercy” from God.
But tragedy never left him far.
In April 2024, he buried his son, Mohammed Ibrahim Idris, former member of the House of Representatives for Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala, who died in Abuja shortly after Eid-el-Fitr prayers.
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