Policemen attached to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja continue to advertise police character certificates (PCCs) to passersby for illegal fees, EQ has confirmed.

Even with Abiodun Alabi, a Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, heading and working in the FCID, EQ has been able to establish fraudulent practices in the procurement of PCCs there.

On Friday, a man who identified himself as ‘Intelligence Good’, a policeman attached to the department, told EQ he would issue a PCC for N70,000, but later shifted ground and said he would settle for N65,000.

Thinking he was speaking with a willing customer, he said the Police Specialised Services Automated Portal (POSSAP) had a N30,000 fee published on its website, but capturing cost an extra fee which took the total cost to N65,000.

EQ got Good’s number after a policeman stopped a source at the FCID on Monday to say he could prepare the PCC for them for N50,000. This policeman told the source his name was Daniel, but people know him as ‘Biggy’.

Daniel ‘Biggy’ captured in front of the FCID on Monday

On Friday, EQ called Daniel, and he said, “If you do the PCC online, you will come for capturing, and that costs money.”

READ MORE: UNDERCOVER: With N45,000, I Got Valid Police Character Certificate for Kirikiri Prison Inmate

Asked how much it would cost, he said he would send the number of someone who would do it for us. Afterwards, he sent Good’s number.

Daniel’s message to EQ

EQ texted this number via WhatsApp on Friday, and while responding, he mentioned the PCC.

“You need Police Character Certificate,” he said.

“Yes, for UK,” EQ responded.

Intelligence Good’s conversation with EQ

Continuation of conversation

When EQ asked how much it would cost, he said it would cost N70,000 because the PCC would be required in the diaspora. EQ then reminded him that on the POSSAP website, the statutory fee for PCC was N30,000, but he said the process for final approval was different.

EQ asked if the processes cost an extra N40,000, to which he replied saying EQ should bring N65,000 instead of his N70,000 earlier demand.

On Friday, EQ sent its findings to the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) in Abuja but, at press time, they were yet to respond despite seeing the messages on WhatsApp.

These findings follow EQ’s undercover investigation and sustained reporting on PCC fraud.

On Thursday, Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), said via a video statement, that the police would not ask anyone for bribes or encourage anyone to extort money off members of the public, but EQ has found several occasions when staff of the FCID and other stations nationwide do so.
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