NYSC Certificate Forgery: Why We Can’t Arrest Adeosun – Police

The police have stated that they cannot investigate the alleged forgery of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, exemption certificate by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, because there is no formal complaint against her.

The Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, told newsmen in Abuja, that the Nigerian Police was not aware of the allegations against the minister, adding that no one had come forward to lodge a complaint against her.

“There must be a complaint, either written or verbal to us. You must write to a divisional police station or the Commissioner of Police or to the Inspector-General of Police; we have not received any complaint, so we can’t investigate it (allegation of forgery),” Moshood, acting Deputy Commissioner of Police stated.

Asked if the media reports of the allegation were not sufficient for the police to initiate a probe, the spokesman stated that police detectives could not initiate an investigation based on newspaper reports.

He insisted on a written or verbal complaint to the police, noting that this was the basis for all police investigations.

“I have not read the report of what you said was published in newspapers. As I said, we can’t investigate the allegations until there is a verbal or written complaint against her (the finance minister),” the police explained.

Two non-governmental organisations had reportedly petitioned the IG to probe the allegations against Adeosun.

Human and Environmental Development Agenda Resource Centre, and an anti-corruption group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, had challenged the minister to break her silence and respond to the allegation.