Nigeria Content Online

A shake up of the
Nigeria Police Force on Monday saw about 16 senior officers, including
the Force PRO Emmanuel Ojukwu, redeployed and another detained for
tampering with officer salaries.

NEXT, gathered that a
group of pay officers had tampered with the salary increases approved
for each cadre of the police personnel stalling the salary payment
process. The officers are accused of deducting up to N20,000 each from
the salaries of the rank and file, while the salaries of more senior
officers were muddled up in such a manner that it will be difficult to
confirm their actual take home pay.

According to police
sources, the officers connived with the commissioner of police in charge
of budget at the force headquarters to perpetrate the act, which has
been a common phenomenon in whenever there is an increase in officers’
salaries.

Other states affected in the scam include Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Lagos.

An officer, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, said his salaries and allowances,
including three-month arrears, were far less than what his counterparts
in Abuja and other parts of the country were expecting.

“Well, I didn’t want to talk until I sign my voucher and collect [my salary],” he said.

“Some of my
colleagues in Abuja here have started writing their petitions that is
why they invited some of the pay officers from about seven states,
including Lagos State, to write statements.”

However, police are
denying the allegations. Yomi Ajayi, Chief Superintendent of Police and
acting force public relations officer, said his enquiry at the budget
office in Abuja revealed scams of any kind and dismissed the reports
‘rumour mongering’.

Officers redeployed
In a related development, the force public relations officer and
assistant commissioner of police, Emmanuel Ojukwu, and 14 other senior
officers have been redeployed from the force headquarters in Abuja to
other state commands and departments.

Mr Ojukwu has been
moved to Imo State as the officer in charge of the State Criminal
Investigations Department (SCID), Imo State Command, Owerri.

The redeployment
letter was signed by the Force Secretary, Suleiman Fakai on behalf of
the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim. The letter said that the
new postings were immediate. Mr Ojukwu is replaced by CSP Yomi Ajayi
becomes.

The redeployment affected eight deputy commissioners, three assistant
commissioners (ACPs) and four CSPs. It is the first major shake-up by
Mr. Ringim since his assumption of office in September.