THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been indicted for widespread financial, procurement, and project execution breaches amounting to ₦2.69 billion, according to the newly released Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in MDAs for 2022.
News Point Nigeria reports that the comprehensive audit, which reviewed spending patterns, contract processes, and asset management practices across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) flagged the Police Force Headquarters for abandoned projects, irregular contract awards, questionable payments, and disbursement of funds for unexecuted works.
One of the most damning findings involved 14 projects valued at ₦1,938,299,452.00, all listed as ongoing in the 2022 budget but found to have been abandoned.
Rather than completing the approved projects, auditors found that the Police proceeded to award fresh contracts not captured in the 2022 Appropriation Act. These new contracts had no traceable legislative approval and were paid for outside the approved budget framework.
The Police management defended its actions, stating that the projects had been repeatedly rolled over since 2017 under a “zero-based budgeting system” and were never funded by successive administrations.
“The projects had attained various levels of completion but were not funded… hence the abandonment,” the NPF said in its response. It asked that a dedicated budget sub-head be created to fund such legacy projects.
The Auditor-General, however, recommended that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) be compelled to recover the affected funds and remit them into the treasury.
Another flagged irregularity involved the construction of 12 one-bedroom en suite transit camps and the rehabilitation of an administrative block at the Police Pre-retirement Skills Acquisition Centre in Kudan, Kaduna State.
The contract valued at ₦141,082,359.45 had already received ₦111,635,864.64 (79% of the total cost) by December 2022.
However, when auditors visited the site in March 2024, they found no evidence of the transit camps being built.
Police management claimed some work had been done and that the contractor had been asked to return to site, but auditors dismissed the explanation as “inadequate.”
The report also highlighted improper payments totalling ₦4,011,627.89 for additional work on the Inspector-General of Police Conference Room.
Although an initial ₦20 million was approved for the project, police authorities later paid an additional ₦2,511,627.89 for statutory taxes. Auditors noted that the VAT and tax elements should not have been paid to the contractor, describing the entire process as irregular.
Other findings include: ₦499,875,500.00 paid for Police College Phase II construction in Bashar, Plateau State, auditors reported that the project was not executed despite full payment.
₦112,026,424.00 used to settle outstanding 2020 liabilities, auditors said the payments were illegally drawn from the 2022 budget.
₦6,000,000 paid for the irregular engagement of a Senior Special Assistant to the IGP on revenue and tax matters auditors said due process was not followed.
Direct procurement of equipment worth ₦10,080,000.00 for the newly established NPF Database Management Centre, in violation of procurement laws.
A ₦12,931,000 contract with insufficient documentation and unclear execution details.
Loss of police operational animals, especially horses, with no records or accountability.
Collection of obsolete firearms across police commands but no documentation provided for their disposal or management.
The Auditor-General concluded that the Police Force failed to comply with financial regulations, procurement laws, and basic documentation standards, noting that many explanations offered by police authorities were unsatisfactory.
The report stressed that the findings would remain in force until the Police implement all recommended corrective measures and recover misapplied funds.