Policemen shutdown Yola, protest 2-month salary arrears

Hundreds of policemen, who transact business at the Nigeria Police Force Micro-Finance Bank, yesterday, paralyzed commercial activities in Yola, demanding immediate payment of their two-month salaries.

The angry policemen, who were in mufti to avoid identification, stormed the bank in the early hours of the day, demanding for money to settle medical bills.

The aggrieved policemen of various ranks, who did not want to be identified, however, appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the matter, saying their families were dying of hunger.

Contacted on the issue, the Police Public Relation Officer in the state, Superintendent Othman Abubakar, declined comment, saying he was not competent to speak on the matter.

However, the Branch Manager, NPF Micro Finance Bank, Haruna Yusuf, said the Police authorities had not remitted funds meant for payment of salaries of the affected policemen, to the bank.

He said the Police Command in the state informed him that the funds were with the Budget Office, Force Headquarters, Abuja, awaiting approval.

His words: “I am just from the state Police Headquarters, Yola, where I was informed that the funds meant for payment of the affected policemen are still with the Budget Office of police headquarters in Abuja.

“As soon as the funds are made available to the bank, they will start getting their alert. That is the only information I know about the matter; you can go and verify.”