PSC battles Police Academy over admission of students

By Monday Ijeh

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has accused the Management of Police Academy, Wudil of undermining its authority in the student’s admission process into the institution.

PSC said this in response to the recent advertisement by the Police Academy informing the public that the online application for admission into the 12th Regular Course of its degree programmes would open from July 28 to Sept. 8, 2025.

In a statement on Thursday, the Head of Press and Public Relations of PSC, Mr Ikechukwu Ani said the advertorial was placed in flagrant violation of the required procedure and was an undisguised attempt to undermine the Commission which had the constitutional mandate to recruit, including through the academy.

According to the statement, the commission had the sole authority to appoint persons holding or aspiring to hold offices into the Nigeria Police Force as clearly stated in the Court of Appeal’s judgement of Sept. 30, 2020.

Ani said the decision, affirmed by the Supreme Court, was taken in a case between the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police & 3 ors .

“As a law abiding institution of government, the PSC will continue to resist and condemn any action by any person, body or authority that is in contravention of the provisions of the constitution.

“The publication obviously undermines the rule of law and infringes upon the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed to all citizens as has been interpreted by the Apex Court in the land.

“No individual or institution including the Police Service Commission or the Nigeria Police Force is above the rule of law,” he said.

Ani urged the public to disregard the publication and declared it as null and void.

Ani also said the admission procedure introduced in the recent past by the academy was completely chaotic, confusing and unpredictable.

According to him, worse still, charging application fees of N6,000 in an exercise designed to be absolutely free is absurd.

He said the plan by the academy to invite all the applicants to appear in the premises of the Police Academy instead of decentralising the process and procedures in the 36 states and Abuja was not in the interest of the applicants.

Ani said the plan was an invitation to avoidable anarchy that would continue to create unnecessary stress, economic wastage, risk of journey, accommodation problem for the applicants and their families.

He said the present leadership of the commission in collaboration with the key stakeholders, Ministry of Police Affairs, Federal Character Commission and Nigeria Police Force was set to bring policies in line with Global best practices.

(NAN)