Some police officers serving in Ebonyi State, particularly those attached to the Department of Operations and the Police Mobile Force (PMF), have accused senior officers of diverting allowances paid by private organisations for security duties, subjecting personnel to poor welfare, delayed payments and exploitative working conditions.
The officers, who spoke to SaharaReporters anonymously for fear of reprisals, also alleged widespread irregularities in the administration of police deployments in the state, including the use of “ghost” personnel to obtain security funds from the Ebonyi State Government.
The officers appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, to launch an independent investigation into the allegations and reform the system through which allowances for special duties are paid.
One of the officers described Ebonyi as one of the most difficult states for police personnel, especially those serving under the Department of Operations and the Police Mobile Force.
“The most painful state to work is Ebonyi State, mostly the Department of Operations and Mopol department,” the officer said.
According to him, officers who refused to extort members of the public were left to endure severe financial hardship.
“Only those that are enjoying police work in Ebonyi State and other South-East states are those using police rifles on innocent citizens who drive good cars or dress well, making them suspects overnight and collecting money from their families.
“We that are not using police rifles to make money from the public are suffering a lot,” he alleged.
The officer, who claimed to have served in Ebonyi State for more than 20 years, alleged that exploitation of junior officers had persisted under successive administrations.
“I have been in Ebonyi State for more than 20 years, working in the Department of Operations and suffering for senior officers and their families. We cried about the former Admin Officer, Godwin Onu, before he retired, and now we have seen another wicked officer,” he alleged.
The officers questioned the handling of allowances paid by companies and organisations that engage police personnel for escort and security duties.
Addressing the Inspector-General, one source asked, “We want to know if it is a criminal offence for officers and men to collect their allowances directly from the company they are attached to. How can an officer be in the bush with his principal while somebody else comes to collect his allowance in the name of administrative work?”
He alleged that some companies pay as much as N1.8million monthly per police officer for security services, but claimed that only a fraction of the money eventually reaches the personnel carrying out the assignments.
“Some companies and beats in the 36 states are paying N1.8million per security officer every month, but the DC Operations will pay N50,000 per person while the Commander of Mobile Police pays his men N35,000.
“The most painful part is that the allowance comes whenever they like, not when the company releases the money,” the source alleged.
According to him, officers assigned to bank security duties work throughout the week but receive only token payments.
“A man with a family will be posted on bank duties from Sunday to Saturday. At the end of the week, the office will pay him N7,000 and even add threats to it,” he claimed.
The officer further alleged that although private companies agree on fixed monthly payments before police personnel are deployed, the money is significantly reduced before reaching the officers.
“Before police authorities sign men out to any company or beat for security guard or escort duties, the company has a fixed amount of money they are going to pay every month to the office.
“To my greatest surprise, the same office that receives the money from the company will reduce it to almost nothing before paying the officers,” he alleged.
The officers also compared their treatment with soldiers serving alongside them.
“How can a police officer be on duty with soldiers in the same company or beat? At the end of the month, the soldiers receive their allowances directly through the company, while a policeman receives August allowance around September 20 from the office,” the source said.
The officers urged the Inspector-General to ensure allowances are paid directly and promptly.
“Our father, the IGP, please we have families to take care of. We are calling on you to intervene. Let our allowances come directly to us and at the right time, not long after salary. Allowances make one perform duties well,” the source pleaded.
Another police officer also alleged that the Ebonyi State Government had, for years, unknowingly released funds for personnel who were allegedly not deployed for security assignments.
The officer called for what he described as a comprehensive verification of police personnel attached to government security duties.
“There should be serious verification in the Ebonyi State Government House. For the past six years now, Ebonyi State Government has been releasing money for ghost workers in the police,” the source alleged.
He claimed that police formations allegedly inflated the number of officers deployed for government assignments.
“Thirty-Two PMF Squadron and the Department of Operations, Abakaliki, will release six units’ names to the government when only about half of those units will actually be doing the job,” he alleged.
The source further claimed that some officers were placed on what he described as “pin down” arrangements, a practice he insisted had no official basis in police operations.
“There’s no job in the police like ‘pin down’, but it was formed by the bad administrative system of 32 PMF and the Department of Operations,” he alleged.
He urged Governor Francis Nwifuru to scrutinise security-related expenditures in the state.
“His Excellency, the Governor of Ebonyi State, should shine his eyes,” the officer said, alleging that funds earmarked for police security operations required closer monitoring.
The officer also complained about the composition of leadership positions within the command, alleging that many key operational and administrative offices were headed by officers from outside the South-East.
He contrasted the situation with what he claimed obtained in many northern states, where strategic and revenue-generating police positions were largely occupied by indigenous officers.
The officer encouraged fellow policemen to speak publicly about their welfare concerns.
“I am using this opportunity to inform my fellow officers: please let us not keep quiet again because the suffering is too much. Bring your complaints to the newsmen and see how God will help us,” he said.
The allegations come amid growing concerns over the welfare of rank-and-file police personnel across Nigeria, many of whom have repeatedly complained about poor remuneration, inadequate accommodation, delayed allowances and difficult working conditions despite ongoing police reform efforts.
Efforts to obtain reactions from the Ebonyi State Police Command, were unsuccessful, as the police spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, did not take his calls as at the time of filing this report.
(SaharaReporters)
