Boko Haram found in Nigerian army and police recruitment lists
A lawmaker from Plateau State has raised alarm over the alleged discovery of Boko Haram members on recent recruitment lists for the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force. The lawmaker said the revelation points to deep infiltration of security processes and poses a serious threat to national security if not urgently addressed.
According to the Plateau lawmaker, preliminary findings from internal screening exercises showed that some names linked to extremist activities appeared among shortlisted candidates. He described the development as disturbing and warned that allowing such individuals into the nation’s security institutions could further weaken the fight against insurgency and terrorism.
The lawmaker called on the federal government and security agencies to immediately review and strengthen their background checks and verification systems. He stressed that recruitment into security forces must go beyond physical fitness and academic qualifications and must place strong emphasis on intelligence vetting and community-level verification.
He also urged anti-terror and intelligence agencies to conduct a thorough cleanup of the recruitment process to ensure that criminal elements do not gain access to weapons, training, and sensitive information. According to him, failure to act decisively could endanger both serving officers and the general public.
The allegation has sparked fresh public concern over the integrity of security recruitment in Nigeria, as citizens continue to demand more transparent and foolproof procedures. Security authorities are yet to issue an official response to the claim.
