Police react to alleged fraud by Egbetokun in Academy admission

By Monday Ijeh

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed a report accusing the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Kayode Egbetokun of smuggling names into the Nigeria Police Academy admission list.

Nigeria Police Force described the report as a false, malicious, defamatory, barefaced lie and a product of irresponsible and unethical journalism, aimed at misleading Nigerians in a statement by its spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the statement, for the 2025/2026 academic session, a total of 370 candidates, ten per state, were admitted solely on merit, having met all academic, physical, and character benchmarks as required by the academy.

The Police added that while well-meaning Nigerians, leaders, or institutions may recommend candidates for consideration, as is customary in any public institution, such recommendations do not override merit or influence the selection process.

“Under the watch of Egbetokun, no name is smuggled, no slot is sold, and no standard is compromised,” Hundeyin said while insisting that the report was a calculated attempt to malign the reputation of the Nigeria Police Force and its leadership.

“It is both mischievous and contemptuous, crafted with the sole intent of inciting public disaffection and eroding confidence in the Police institution.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the admission process into the Nigeria Police Academy remains transparent, merit-based, and strictly guided by due process.

“The Nigeria Police Force therefore dares the author of the report to produce a single verifiable name from the approved list that does not meet the stipulated admission requirements.

“Until such evidence is produced, the report remains what it truly is, a baseless fabrication, an act of journalistic blackmail, and a grave defamation of character,” he said.

He said the report, a pattern of targeted misinformation, was a direct assault on national institutions and an act capable of undermining public trust and national security.

According to him, spreading falsehoods against the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency is not investigative journalism, but subversive propaganda.

He cautioned the media platform to desist from its habitual dissemination of false and malicious reports against the Nigeria Police Force.

“Failure of which, the force will actively consult its legal department and explore appropriate legal redress, including defamation proceedings, against the platform and any individuals complicit in the calculated misinformation campaign.

“The public is advised to disregard the said publication in its entirety. It is false, mischievous, and driven purely by ill intent.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute, professional, and unwavering in its commitment to merit, transparency, and accountability,” he said. (NAN)