A leaked telephone conversation has revealed allegations of corruption, extortion, arbitrary postings and poor welfare among police officers serving under the 32 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Squadron in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
In the audio obtained by SaharaReporters, a distressed police officer accused a senior administrative officer identified as “Chinedu” of allegedly demanding payments from rank-and-file personnel in exchange for favourable postings and other benefits.
The officer, who said he had served in the squadron for 15 years, alleged that officers who refused to make payments were removed from lucrative duty posts and replaced with personnel willing to pay regular kickbacks.
He claimed that one posting slot was allegedly sold for N10,000, with the recipient reportedly expected to pay the same amount every month from a larger allowance.
The officer also alleged that some personnel deployed for special operations in Benue State were transferred abruptly without adequate preparation or essential personal items.
According to him, he was deployed while recovering from illness and arrived at the operation with only his police uniform and a small bag.
He further alleged that some officers had remained on lucrative assignments for several years because of payments allegedly made to retain their positions.
The policeman also claimed that allowances meant for some officers were being significantly reduced, leaving personnel with debts and financial difficulties.
He alleged that the situation had contributed to serious health problems among some officers and claimed that the death of one colleague was linked to the pressure surrounding the alleged posting arrangement.
However, the allegations contained in the recording have not been independently verified, and no direct connection between the reported death and the administrative practices alleged in the audio has been established.
The officer called on the newly appointed squadron commander to investigate the claims and reform the system, saying he was prepared to stand by the truth despite the risks involved.
The allegations come amid previous complaints by police personnel in Ebonyi over alleged diversion of allowances, manipulation of deployment rosters, delayed payments and the alleged presence of ghost personnel on government-funded security assignments.
The whistleblowers had called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to investigate the reported financial irregularities affecting officers’ welfare.
As of the time of the report, the Nigeria Police Force had not publicly responded to the specific allegations contained in the leaked recording. Attempts to obtain comments from the Ebonyi State Police Command were reportedly unsuccessful.
