PREMIUM TIMES
learned that the director demanded various spurious charges from the students
of the 2018/2019 academic session, who were reportedly forced to pay as much as
N45,000 each without the knowledge of the police management.
They also received
no form of evidence for the payment.
The students also
told PREMIUM TIMES that the director has refused them becoming graduates
allegedly due to their failure to pay another round of N5,000 each for the
repair of damaged property at the college.
Further
investigations have also revealed that the director had been enmeshed in
similar allegations in the past, which reportedly led to her punishment by the
management of the Nigerian Police Force.
But, rather than
denying the allegations, the director has told PREMIUM TIMES that the students
only paid for materials given to them by the college.
The police
management has also confirmed that she is currently being investigated over the
allegations.
Findings
Upon their successful
employment by the Nigerian police force, these set of music students underwent
a four-month mandatory training in general duties alongside other colleagues in
various police training schools across the states of the federation.
The 185 officers,
who opted for music, resumed to the music school in Lagos on October 15, 2018,
for a year-long professional training.
Some of the affected
students, who spoke to our reporter in confidence for fear of being sanctioned,
narrated their ordeals since 2018.
According to them,
they were surprised that the school director ordered their uniforms allocated
to them at their various academies be seized. She said they could do with their
vests and shorts until they pay N20,000 each for a new set of uniforms and
course materials.
The director asked
them to pay “cash” to one of her aides, Benson Stephen. Mr. Stephen was
popularly known among the students as General Number 1 with NPF number: 515966.
The N20,000 is said
to cover N5,000 for a new set of vests; N5,000 for course materials, and
N10,000 for “the director as their support token.”
“Some of us trained
in police college Maiduguri, some in police training school Bauchi, and some in
Benue, kwara, Lagos, among others, and none of us was told of anything about
any money to be paid at the college,” one of the affected students told PREMIUM
TIMES, adding that; “There was no receipt and it is not stated anywhere in all
the official documents we obtained.”
According to the
students, the sum of N3.7 million was paid to Mr Stephen between December 2018
and February 2019.
Stephen bolted
Shortly after all
the 185 students paid to the officer, the director informed the students that
Mr Stephen had bolted with the entire cash, and so requested them to make fresh
payments of N15,000 each to her secretary, Jordan Murte, an assistant
superintendent of Police.
“We were initially
told that the officer was dismissed, but when we questioned further, we were
then told he just ran away,” another student said.
As soon another N2.
7 million was paid to Mr Murte, the director ordered that their seized uniforms
be released, and gave them new sets of vests and some course materials.
Some of the
college’s graduates who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on condition of anonymity said
prior to the emergence of Mrs Chinonyerem as the director, course materials
were usually provided free of charge.
A police officer at
the counter terrorist unit said the director had once been queried over similar
corruption allegations.
The officer said;
“She had demanded money from recruits in 2008 and the money was paid but one of
them wrote a petition against her which led to her suspension. But later, she
was brought back.”
Another police
officer, who also pleaded anonymity, confirmed the corruption allegation
against the director. According to the officer, their set was part of the
trainees in 2008 when “she was busted.”
But while the
students were still grumbling over what they described as extortion, the
director was said to have advised the students to contribute additional N10,000
each, if they would like to conclude their programme on schedule.
According to our
sources, another N1.83 million was contributed by the officers and paid to the
director.
“We were asked to
pay N10,000 so that we could be prepared for passing out in December, 2019.
Because we were eager to leave the school, we paid as requested,” another
student said.
But some of the
students who were not comfortable with the payment were said to have reported
the matter to the Force Headquarters in Abuja, which PREMIUM TIMES learnt had
commenced investigation into the allegation.
However, in spite of
the payment, and having spent almost two years at the college, the officers are
yet to graduate, even as a new set of students have since resumed.
“We are aware that
when the authorities interrogated her over the allegations, she said we are yet
to fully understand the instruments and we would need to stay for 18 months
instead of 12. A new set of students have resumed but they have not started
training for more than a month now because we are still in the hostel,” the
source said.
Meanwhile, the
director has further requested that the students pay additional N5,000 each for
the replacement of facilities including chairs that may have been damaged
during their stay.
The source added;
“She said we must buy all the chairs before we are passed out and that failure
to pay could keep us in the school for as long as she wishes.”
The director reacts
When asked for
response to the allegations, the director said the money received from the
students was for their materials needed for the course.
“They were given
materials, just like they gave materials to them at every other place where
they were trained for the general studies before they were posted to me. They
were posted here for professional training.”
She confirmed that
the initial N3.7 million was paid to Mr Stephen, and said since the payment was
made, the officer’s whereabouts has remained unknown.
The director said
efforts were made to trace the officer but that he was yet to be found till
date.
“We have done
everything that we can do, I have even told their trainers to use them too
because he has friends among them, but they couldn’t find him. Is it in my
place to go looking for a criminal?”
The Director
declined speaking further on the allegedly dismissed officer.
On the prolonged
course duration and claims that the officers are being held for failure to pay
for damages, Mrs Chinonyerem said it was due to the outbreak of coronavirus
disease in Nigeria.
She said; “I don’t
know that they have chosen to go through your office to report the matter to
you. I couldn’t have in my capacity kept them here. There is COVID-19 and there
is no movement; they have to take their final exams and we cannot gather them
together to cluster.”
“They are
accommodated and are receiving their salaries; I don’t know why they are
complaining. I don’t know why some people are so recalcitrant and have refused
to understand simple instruction. Even the headquarters know about this,” she
said.
Mrs Chinonyerem said
she has been called up by the Inspector General of Police’s Office and she has
given them an answer on why they are still at the school.
“I am the Director
of Music and they are under my professional training; until I certify that they
are what I want them to be, there is nobody….,” she cuts.
“For the first time
we have not been paying people salaries except this set, maybe because they
have so much money as salary that is why they are doing all these,” she said in
annoyance.
Mrs Chinonyerem
declined speaking on the requested N5,000 for damaged chairs.
“There are questions
I don’t have to answer you; what I need to answer you, I have answered.
Whatever they have written to you, they have already reported at the
headquarters and I have given them my answers,” she added.
But the officers
have described as lame the use of coronavirus as an excuse to keep them at the
college.
According to them,
50 of them sleep in a room at the hostel and there is neither social distancing
nor observation of any regulation against the disease at the school.
“If you see us in
the hostel, you would think we are animals. Come and see us on parade grounds
and during our morning duties. In fact, we are more at risk here than anywhere
else. People go out on Sundays to mingle outside, and they still come in to mix
with us here freely,” one of the students said.
Police spokesperson speaks
When PREMIUM TIMES’
reporter contacted Frank Mba, the Nigerian Police Force spokesperson on the
matter, he requested time to make findings.
Mr Mba, who
responded three days after our reporter’s enquiry, said he found out that some
of the contributions, especially payment for shirts, was initiated by some of
the officers (the students).
“T- Shirt is not
part of the official accoutrements of the police, so police will not issue T-
shirts, so people can contribute money to buy T- shirts to make their lives
easier. I also made a T- shirt at my last training, we contributed to people,”
he said.
The police
spokesperson said the contribution, if necessary, should have been made amongst
the officers and not compelled by any superior.
Mr Mba further said
that the action of the officer, who allegedly bolted with the first N3.7million
contribution, was reported at a police station.
When asked about the
fees paid by the students for posting and other unofficial matters, Mr Mba said
he could not comment, saying the matter was still being investigated.
“I don’t want to box
myself up; if I say she didn’t do it and she did it, all I can say is that the
matter is under investigation.”
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