The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered a nationwide restriction barring Point-of-Sale (POS) operators from operating within 200 metres of all police stations and formations across Nigeria, following allegations linking some operators to extortion and corrupt practices involving police personnel.
The directive, contained in an internal police wireless message circulated to formations nationwide, directed immediate enforcement of the new operational boundary, warning that any violation would attract strict disciplinary consequences for senior officers in charge of affected formations.
According to the signal, the Nigeria Police Force raised concern over what it described as the “alarming proliferation” of POS operators around police facilities, noting that their presence had increasingly become associated with complaints of bribery and illegal financial transactions within and around police premises.
The message further stated that the development was undermining ongoing reform efforts within the Force aimed at improving transparency, accountability and public confidence in policing.
The wireless communication read in part that the police leadership had observed with “utmost dismay” the growing trend of POS operators clustering around police formations, with allegations that some were being used as conduits for corrupt transactions.
Consequently, the Force Headquarters directed that no POS operator must be allowed to operate within a 200-metre radius of any police station, divisional headquarters or formation nationwide.
The order also placed responsibility for compliance squarely on senior officers, warning that Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Commissioners of Police and heads of formations would be held “vicariously liable” for breaches within their jurisdictions.
Security analysts say the move is part of renewed efforts by the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to curb entrenched allegations of extortion, particularly complaints that some officers compel suspects or civilians to make instant cash transfers or withdrawals through nearby POS agents during encounters at police facilities.
Over the years, human rights organisations and civil society groups have repeatedly raised concerns about the proximity of POS outlets to police stations, arguing that the arrangement has in some cases enabled unofficial financial dealings and abuse of power.
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