The Nigeria Police Force has refuted reports that unqualified candidates were included in the list of recruits for training, maintaining that its selection process strictly followed due process.
The denial follows a publication which accused the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of “smuggling names” into the academy’s admission list.
Responding to the allegation in a statement on Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, described the report as “a barefaced lie” adding that under Egbetokun, no slot is sold, and no standard is compromised.
Hundeyin warned that the Force views the pattern of misinformation as a deliberate attempt to undermine national institutions and erode public trust, noting that such publications are “capable of threatening national security.”
The Force clarified that while recommendations from well-meaning Nigerians, leaders, or institutions are customary, such gestures neither override merit nor influence the final selection process.
According to him, “For the avoidance of doubt, the admission process into the Nigeria Police Academy remains transparent, merit-based, and strictly guided by due process. 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 Nigeria Police Force therefore dares Sahara Reporters 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.
“Accordingly, Sahara Reporters is hereby strongly cautioned 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 Sahara Reporters and any individuals complicit in this calculated misinformation campaign.
“We reaffirm that no amount of blackmail or falsehood will distract the Nigeria Police Force from its sacred duty of protecting lives, property, and the integrity of our nation.
