Tuesday revealed by the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim. Already, some pay officers with Abia State Police Command have been arrested and are being quizzed over their roles in the financial scam.
He said an audit directed by the Ministry of Police Affairs has uncovered thousands of ghost officers in the Nigeria Police Force and billions of naira stolen by police pay officers and accountants. The exercise, which commenced in September 2010 allegedly uncovered bank accounts through which monies were being stolen by pay officers and their collaborators. Ringim said N6 billion have been recovered within two months.
Addressing pay officers and accountants at the Force Headquarters on Tuesday, Ringim said the consultant discovered that the staff strength of the Force was not up to the 377,000 official figure.
“The audit also established the fact that bank officials connive with police pay officers to steal money. Investigation had commenced and any officer indicted would be prosecuted and jailed. Pay officers often delay the payment of salaries unnecessarily while complaints of variated salaries and allowances by officers in some state commands are rife. Some pay officers have been found to have made multiple payments into accounts,” he said.
The IGP said that in one instance, about N15 million was paid into some accounts monthly while cheques were also cashed, in flagrant violation of government regulations that all payments must be done through e-payment. He recounted his experience when a pay officer in one of the state commands where he served attempted to give him money, but he said he declined the offer.
“On a daily basis, we receive complaints from men in Abuja and outside that their pay have been unduly cut. Some state commands pay constables N16, 000, some pay N18, 000 without reasons. Some accuse the Mechanised Salary Section (MSS) and pay officers. We are going to change those responsible for this. Government money is not a free thing for all to be converted to personal use.
“I have received complaints over and over that police salaries are deliberately delayed. It shouldn’t happen in police because it is an embodiment of law and order. All policemen that have served in MSS for two years must be changed as well as civilians. Salaries and emoluments that should have been paid by 27 and 28 of the month drag on and on. I will stamp out this fraud completely. I have low tolerance for such conduct,” Mr. Ringim further said.
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| Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim |
The commissioner in charge of Special Investigation Unit, Ali Amodu, who presented a preliminary report of investigations into the scam, said salaries were being paid to ghost workers and that monies meant for 10, 000 men were paid into fraudulent bank accounts.
He said some unscrupulous pay officers and accountants opened over 20 accounts where monies were paid monthly, stressing that his investigations revealed fraud on a large scale.
Amodu said he would tour all the state commands and the pay officers and accountants would be invited to the Force Headquarters with their records.
“As we are talking, your colleagues in Abia, the OC, MSS, and others are with us and we are examining their records. We will tour all the state commands, but please don’t tempt the officers coming to your commands. Allow them to do their work. If you haven’t done anything (wrong), you have nothing to fear,” he said.
The SIU boss pointed out that the salary schedule was decentralised to ease payment, with different banks appointed to pay officers in each region.
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