Police Gives Update On Recruitment Exercise In Benue State

The Command of the Nigeria Police Force in Benue State has explained the reason behind the suspension of the force screening exercise for applicants from Ogbadibo Local Government Area.

Naija News understands that the state command of the force had earlier suspended the ongoing recruitment exercise, leaving hundreds of candidates from the Ogbadibo LGA stranded after many had put in their details on the registration portal to proceed for the physical screening exercise.

It was reported that officers teargassed and chased out applicants from the venue and suspend the exercise. Most of them who came from other states such as Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and a host of other states are now stranded in the state, Naija News learnt.

Giving clarification on the development when contacted, the Benue State PPRO, Anene Sewuese Catherine told newsmen that the force did not cancel the exercise but only suspended it for the good of the applicant.

“These people decided to prove themselves. They were constituting nuisance to the environment. Because they wanted to waste our time, we asked them to go and come back on the last day. It was not cancelled because we had already screened 300 people from that local government,” said Catherine.

She added, “They were about 1,700 and we have successfully screened 300. The others became unruly and we had to send them away for their own good because they were going to stampede themselves. So, we asked them to go and come back.”

“It is a way of controlling the crowd. They broke the windscreen of a police vehicle.”

When questioned by newsmen if the police authority was aware that some of the applicants travelled from a far distance for the exercise, and are now stranded in the state, Catherine shunned the question by saying, “I am busy now with the recruitment. I think I have given you all the information you need.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, has noted that the Npower Batch C recruitment which is currently at the review stage will be free and fair.