The federal government had instituted the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) last February. After its implementation, the formerly known 371,800 figure of police officers fell to 291,685.
The revelation means that an estimated 80,115 police officers have until now continually drawn salaries and benefits running into billions of naira.
Those officers don't exist, of course. But their pay existed and went to corrupt superiors somewhere up the chain of command.
So how much of the mayhem and theft that oil gangs, violent herdsmen, and jihadi terrorists--as well as common criminals--inflict on Nigerians could have been stopped with 80,000 more police officers actually on the job?
This is why I drone on about rule of law--both here and abroad.
In related information, Strategypage takes a tour of Nigeria.
