The Nigeria Police Force has arrested two applicants seeking to join the force after they were found with forged examination results during a recruitment screening exercise in Bauchi.
The suspects, both identified as Yusuf Usman, were arrested at the Police Training School Bauchi where the screening of candidates for police constable positions was taking place.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi State Police Command, Nafiu Abubakar Habib.
According to Habib, the two suspects were arrested after screening officials discovered that the examination results they presented from the National Examinations Council were forged.
Habib explained that the screening exercise was supervised by A. Y. Dickson, who led the team responsible for verifying the credentials of applicants during the recruitment process at the training school.
He said the screening team checked a total of 403 candidates who had applied to join the police. Out of this number, 354 applicants were seeking positions under the general duty category, while 49 others applied as specialists.
During the process of verifying their academic records and other documents, the team discovered irregularities in the results presented by the two candidates.
Further checks revealed that both applicants had submitted forged certificates from the National Examinations Council, an examination body responsible for conducting secondary school examinations in Nigeria.
The police spokesperson also noted an unusual detail during the screening exercise. According to him, both suspects shared the same name, Yusuf Usman, and had been moving together throughout the screening process before the fake certificates were detected.
“The team screened 354 General Duty and 49 Specialists, making a total of 403 candidates,” Habib said in the statement.
“Two candidates were arrested with forged NECO results, both named Yusuf Usman, and they were moving together throughout the process.”
Following the discovery, the screening team immediately took action. The team leader ordered that the suspects be handed over to the Divisional Police Officer of the ‘E’ Division for further investigation.
Police authorities say the investigation will determine how the suspects obtained the forged certificates and whether other people were involved in producing or supplying the fake documents.
Recruitment exercises for the Nigeria Police Force usually involve strict screening procedures. Candidates are required to provide valid educational certificates, undergo physical tests, and pass background checks before they can be admitted for training.
Officials say these checks are necessary to ensure that only qualified and trustworthy individuals are recruited into the police.
Habib used the opportunity to warn applicants against attempting to cheat during recruitment exercises. He said the police would not tolerate any form of fraud or document falsification.
He stressed that anyone caught presenting fake certificates or engaging in dishonest practices would face arrest and possible prosecution.
The ongoing screening in Bauchi is part of a nationwide recruitment exercise aimed at strengthening the manpower of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Federal Government had earlier approved the recruitment of 50,000 police constables across the country to improve security and boost the capacity of the force.
Nigeria has faced growing security challenges in recent years, including bandit attacks, kidnappings, armed robbery, and communal clashes in different parts of the country.
As part of efforts to address this issue, the government began a phased recruitment programme designed to bring thousands of new officers into the force over time.
The current recruitment exercise began on Monday and is being conducted simultaneously in different states across Nigeria.
At each centre, officials carefully review candidates’ documents and qualifications before allowing them to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.
Incidents of certificate forgery during recruitment exercises are not entirely new in Nigeria. In the past, some applicants have attempted to use fake documents in order to secure government jobs or gain admission into institutions.
However, authorities say improved verification systems and stricter screening procedures are helping to detect such cases more quickly.
For many young Nigerians, joining the police remains an attractive career option because it provides stable employment and an opportunity to serve the country.
But police authorities say the integrity of the recruitment process must be protected in order to maintain public trust in the force.
The arrest of the two suspects in Bauchi sends a clear message that the police will continue to enforce strict rules during recruitment exercises.
Meanwhile, the screening of other candidates at the Police Training School Bauchi continues as officials work to identify qualified applicants who will eventually join the police and begin training.
