Some of the recruits, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the financial demand as an unbearable burden on them and their families.
Recruits at the Nigeria Police Force Training School, Yelwa, Bauchi State, have raised allegations that they are being forced to pay as much as N250,000 for uniforms, boots, and other essential kits that are supposed to be provided free of charge.
Some of the recruits, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the financial demand as an unbearable burden on them and their families.
The management of the Bauchi training school has denied the allegation.
Officials maintained that recruits are not being extorted and insisted that the kits are distributed in line with established procedures of the Nigeria Police Force.
Daily Trust reports that legal practitioner, Barrister Lawal Ishaq, raised the alarm after a woman sought his financial assistance for her son, who is currently undergoing police training at the school.
Ishaq said, “I was in my office when a woman I had previously assisted came to me. She said her son, who is in the police training school in Bauchi, had called to request N250,000 for uniforms, boots, and jackets.
“She begged me to help him. I called the boy myself, and he confirmed that the money was for those items. I was shocked because this is a newly recruited constable we are talking about.”
The lawyer warned that subjecting recruits to such heavy financial burdens during training could predispose them to corrupt practices once they graduate and take up official duties.
Some of the prospective constables, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that they were compelled to purchase multiple sets of uniforms to meet the demands of training and duty.
They acknowledged that while uniform materials were usually provided, the quality was substandard, forcing them to bear additional tailoring expenses.
“What they give us only lasts a few months, so you have to buy new sets with your own money. Failure to do so could jeopardise your training,” one of them said, adding that they often sought financial support from parents or well-wishers.
Meanwhile, another recruit noted that wearing the prescribed uniform is mandatory.
“It is a difficult situation because, while you are happy to have been enlisted, you must find money to buy the required uniforms since the ones issued on arrival are of poor quality. If you fail to do so, you risk being excluded from training,” he said.
He explained that recruits were barred from purchasing uniforms outside the training school, leaving them with no choice but to comply with the directive.
The recruits also noted that boots are usually issued only after graduation, a situation that compels many of them to buy their own during training. They, however, described the N250,000 charge as “too exorbitant.”
In response, the Commandant of the Bauchi Police Training School, Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdullahi Umar Tambuwal, dismissed the claims as false.
“If such things happen, I don’t know. But it is not true. All students receive their uniforms and kits free of charge. We even provide them with three square meals daily. The uniforms are transported from Abuja to Bauchi, and everything is issued without payment,” he said.
Tambuwal noted that with over 700 recruits currently undergoing training, it was unrealistic to suggest that officers could extort such large sums from them.
He, however, assured that the allegations would be thoroughly investigated and warned that any officer found guilty of extortion would be sanctioned.
However, the commandant also advised parents to ignore what he described as “false claims” and cautioned recruits against making unfounded financial demands from their families.
