The Police Service Commission PSC has disclosed that no fewer than 121,596 applicants were screened out of the 161,873 applications received so far in the ongoing recruitment of constables into the Nigeria Police Force.
The Chairman of the PSC Standing Committee on Police Matters, Taiwo Lakanu, made this known on Wednesday during a news conference in Abuja.
Lakanu explained that after the initial screening exercise, 434,604 applicants qualified to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process, while 60,674 applications were declared invalid. He said a total of 348,974 applicants applied under the General Duty category, while 85,630 applied as Specialists.
According to him, gender distribution figures showed that 442,592 applicants were male, while 114,640 were female. He described the large turnout as a clear indication of the sustained confidence Nigerian youths have in the Nigeria Police Force as a career built on honour and service.
The PSC chairman, however, expressed concern over disparities in participation levels across states during the early phase of the recruitment exercise. He noted that while some states recorded very high application numbers, others had significantly low turnout.
To address the imbalance, Lakanu said the commission, after consultations with the Nigeria Police Force and other stakeholders, approved a two week extension of the application deadline. This, he said, allowed states with low participation to intensify sensitisation and mobilisation efforts, a move that eventually yielded positive results.
Presenting the final state by state analysis, Lakanu said Adamawa recorded the highest number of applicants with 38,989, followed by Benue with 34,511, Kaduna State with 30,397, and Borno with 24,009.
States with the lowest application figures included Ebonyi with 1,667 applicants, Anambra with 1,739, Bayelsa with 2,430, and Lagos State with 2,448.
Lakanu said that despite variations in state participation, the overall national spread reflects the principle of federal character, which the PSC considers fundamental. He added that with the application phase concluded, the commission is moving to the next stage involving physical screening and verification of credentials.
