The Nigeria Police Force has denied claims suggesting that its leadership directed officers across the country to purchase a book for N2000 each.
The book, titled Attitudinal Change in the Nigerian Police Force, had been linked to a purported compulsory purchase directive said to have been issued by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The police clarified that no such order was ever given.
The author of the book, Dr Joseph Danley, who is also the National President of the Foundation for Correction of Moral Decay, dissociated the Police Chief from the rumoured directive. He described the publication circulating online as false and capable of misrepresenting the intentions behind his work. He explained that the book was written to contribute to reform initiatives and encourage discipline within the force.
Dr Danley expressed concern over the misinformation, stating that the circulating report portrayed the Police leadership in a negative light. He said the claim that officers were instructed to pay N2000 compulsory to obtain the book was not only incorrect but damaging. He stressed that the book was not introduced through any official directive but purely as a personal initiative.
According to him, the publication was developed to support positive behavioural change among officers and further promote professionalism across all police formations. He maintained that the book was never meant to be imposed on personnel. He said interested individuals could only purchase it voluntarily, adding that the aim was to support ongoing moral and attitudinal reforms.
Danley urged the public to verify information before sharing it, in order to avoid misrepresenting well intentioned initiatives. He noted that wrong narratives could discourage efforts that seek to advance ethical values and responsible conduct in public institutions. The author explained that his motivation for writing the book was to contribute to reform in policing.
He emphasised that the false report may have been released to create confusion and undermine genuine reform efforts within the Nigeria Police Force. He stated that “the wrong narrative could undermine the ethos of reform that the police are seeking to cultivate.” The clarification has since put to rest speculations around the alleged compulsory purchase.