Tragic Death of Police Cadet Sparks Allegations of Starvation and Mismanagement at Nigeria Police Academy

A.S. Jika, a cadet in the A100-level course 9 at the Nigeria Police Academy in Wudil, Kano State, tragically passed away on Saturday. Colleagues of the deceased cadet have come forward, alleging that he died due to starvation and malnourishment, which had persisted for over two weeks.

Cadets at the academy have pointed fingers at the Commandant, Assistant Inspector-General Sadiq Abubakar, accusing him of high-handedness and financial mismanagement of the feeding allowance allocated for the students.

Hailing from Adamawa State and enrolled in the Department of Computer Science, Jika collapsed inside a restroom during the early hours of Saturday. Fellow cadets, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that they rushed him to the academy’s clinic.

Shockingly, they claimed that the clinic lacked essential medical supplies and personnel, leading to Jika’s untreated condition in an unsuitable environment until he tragically passed away. According to one cadet, there is consistently high traffic of sickly cadets at the clinic.

The anonymous cadet further stated, “Since the new commandant assumed office, they’ve been providing very bad and inadequate food for us. The boy that died was not up to 20 years old. The boy wouldn’t have died if they’d attended to him. The commandant also ordered the closure of the market and laundry and approved undeserved training exercises during lecture hours.”

Allegations of cadets collapsing due to fatigue from starvation and malnourishment are distressingly common, often compounded by threats from the commandant and unwarranted training exercises. Many cadets have reportedly been dismissed from the academy on the basis of falling ill, leading others to attempt self-care to avoid expulsion.

In the midst of these accusations, staff members at the academy have raised concerns about the monthly feeding allowance. Sources familiar with the academy’s operations suggest that a portion of this allowance is diverted into the private pockets of certain high-ranking officials.

Despite attempts to contact him, Commandant AIG Abubakar did not respond to phone calls and text messages from our correspondent on Saturday.

This tragic incident and the serious allegations surrounding it highlight the urgent need for an investigation into the conditions at the Nigeria Police Academy and the treatment of its cadets.