By Ude Ogbonnaya Israel
The Bauchi State Police Command has described as false and misleading the reports published by Sahara Reporters and Daily Trust alleging that recruits at the Police Training School, Yelwa, Bauchi, are being forced to pay as much as ₦250,000 for uniforms, boots, and other training kits.
The reports, which have been widely circulated on social media, claim that some trainees are compelled to solicit funds from family members to meet these alleged demands.
One such account cited by Daily Trust involved a legal practitioner, Barrister Lawal Ishaq, who said a woman sought financial assistance after her son purportedly requested money for training kits.
The Commands Public Relations Officer CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, in a press release noted that while reacting to the allegations, the Commandant of the Police Training School, ACP Abdullahi Umar Tambuwal, dismissed the claims as unfounded.
It read in part, “It is not true that recruits are required to pay for uniforms and kits. All trainees are issued their uniforms free of charge, and they are also provided with three square meals daily adding that the items are transported from Abuja to Bauchi and distributed without cost. With over 700 recruits in training, it is simply impossible for such extortion to take place under my watch,” ACP Tambuwal said.
The Command emphasized that under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, the Nigeria Police Force in Bauchi has maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption as the integrity of the Police Training School, the statement stressed, remains intact.
The Police Command urged members of the public to be cautious of misinformation and disinformation spread through both mainstream and social media, warning that such distortions undermine the credibility of institutions.