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Misinformation: The Police Officer who never collected bribe was awarded by CRALI, not BBC

In what looks like an honest mistake, TheCable reported the story a Police Officer who was honoured for not having received any bribe, and credited it to BBC, but checks reveal the award was given to two Police Officers by a Human Rights Organization in partnership with the US Consulate.

The Media had reported the story titled: “BBC honours Nigerian police officer who has ‘never collected bribe’”, in which it stated how Julius Adedeji was surprised to have received the award, despite the negative ranking and impression about the Nigeria Police Force.

“I thank God that it’s recognised and I feel like putting my best more and more.

“A copy of the letter was delivered to my office for my information, when I read through it, I was wondering could it be true? I read through the letter and I saw that it said, they wanted an institution where they can name and shame those that are not doing well and encourage the people that are doing well within the Nigerian Police Force, I felt so great.”

Although Adedeji was interviewed by BBC on how he had stayed in the Force without receiving bribe, to which he said he was even offered bribe on the same day he received the award but he declined the offer.

 “Absolutely, And even today a person offered to give me some money and I said no, no, no, no why would you do that, I’m just doing my work.

“There’s no way one would not once in a while be tempted. But I just want to do what is right.”

While the award was attributed to BBC, the Media outlet also reported the story but credited the award to Constitutional Rights Awareness and Liberty Initiative (CRALI), in conjunction with the US Consulate for Nigeria.

The story was reported in the pidgin version of BBC which stated that the Police Officers were two; Adekunle Rufus Adedeji; a Superintendent in charge of Criminal Investigative Bureau, Ekiti State and Kenneth Nwosu, a new Divisional Police Officer of Kwani Divisional Headquarters in Sokoto State.

According to Rufus, the Force has bad eggs, but the behaviour of some Officers strongly depends on how they were raised from home.

He also called on the Government to create a good working condition for the Police Officers, adding the uncertainty in receiving remunerations of some of the Force members is the reason they engage in accepting bribes and other illegal activities.

In 2017, the National Bureau Statistics (NBS), revealed that 95% of Nigerians indulged in bribery.

The survey revealed that that the frequency of bribery (46.4%), was more among Police Officers, adding that Nigeria spends about N400 billion annually on bribes to public officials.

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