NPF Audit Uncovers Nearly N2.7 Billion in Fraud, Abandoned Projects

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

A fresh audit has uncovered widespread contract fraud, abandoned projects, and irregular payments totaling N2,694,859,868.53 within the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The findings are detailed in the Auditor-General’s 2022 Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in MDAs, highlighting significant breaches of procurement laws and financial regulations across multiple departments at Force Headquarters.

The report revealed that at least 14 contracts worth N1.93 billion, listed as ongoing in the 2022 budget, were abandoned. Instead of completing these projects, the NPF awarded new contracts not captured in the Appropriation Act, which lacked legislative approval but were fully paid. Police management claimed the projects were rollovers from 2017 and blamed poor funding, suggesting a new budget sub-head to revive the works.

The Auditor-General, however, instructed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to recover all affected funds and remit them to the government treasury. Other irregular payments included N4 million for modifications in the IGP Conference Room, N499,875,500 for Police College Phase II, Bashar, Plateau State, and N6 million for a Senior Special Assistant to the IGP, with several contracts executed without proper documentation.

The report further highlighted weak asset management and safety breaches, including missing operational animals, particularly horses, and obsolete firearms stored in the Force Headquarters armoury without proper documentation or disposal schedules. The Auditor-General concluded that the NPF violated financial regulations, procurement laws, and documentation standards, warning that the issues will remain unresolved until all recommended corrective actions are fully implemented.