Policemen across the country have raised alarm over
what they described as, “arbitrary deductions from
their salaries”, and called on the Minister of Police
Affairs and the National Assembly to intervene on the
situation. The personnel alleged that the Mechanised
Salary Section of the police made deductions of
N5,000 each from their salaries without notice so as
to enable the authorities to procure shares of Fokas
Savings and Loans Limited. Some of the policemen
who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that
the scheme was “dubious”, because they were not
informed about it prior to the salary deduction.
They added that it was after the first cut that some of
them were informed by some superiors who
explained that the amount would be deducted
monthly until further notice. An Inspector narrated
that: “Last week I received a text message from my
bank notifying me that my salary had been paid.
However, I found out that N5,000 had been
deducted. It was a few days later that we were given
forms and we were then told that we had to buy
shares compulsorily.
“How could the deductions have been made before I
even filled the form? The police authorities are
leveraging on the fact that policemen cannot openly
protest. The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar, must look into this”, the Inspector said.
Another policeman also alleged that the scheme was
not well planned, saying some of the officers and
men approaching retirement “should be left out”.
According to him: “I have been a policeman for 34
years and I am close to retirement. People like me
should have been left out from this scheme. I am
already a member of the Nigeria Police Cooperative
Multipurpose Society. Who is forcing people to buy
shares that are unclear?
“N2,000 was deducted from the salaries of senior
police officers while N1,000 was deducted from the
rank and file as compulsory contribution towards the
World Police and Fire Games in which Nigerian
policemen will participate. Why can’t the Federal
Government pay from its own purse?”, another
officer who said he would be retiring in November
this year queried.
Responding, Police Spokesman Frank Mba confirmed
the cuts but said it is legal and in order.
“We are indeed deducting salaries of every service
personnel and it will continue for two months. It is
legal and for the best interest of the members of the
Force. We have documents backing up the
deductions”, Mr. Mba said.
He promised to show our reporter the backup
documents any time required.
Meanwhile, a Vigilante Group in Kebbi state has
arrested a police constable among five cable thieves
in Kardi/Ambursa Development Area of the state.
Narrating the incident, the Deputy Commandant,
Operations, of the Vigilante Group, Mohammed
Lawal , told journalists in Birnin Kebbi that his men
caught the cable thieves “red-handed”.
The DC confirmed that among those in custody was a
police constable arrested along with four others and
that they seized his identity card and other bank
documents found in his possession.
“We arrested five of the vandals including a police
constable on the spot; we have his identity card and
bank documents in his possession as our evidence.
We have handed them over to the police for further
investigation’’, the commandant said.
When contacted,the Deputy Police Public Relations
Officer in Kebbi state, Inspector Bala Sule said he
would not comment on the matter because the
commissioner of police was not in town.
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