Bribery and  corruption by police officers on Nigerian highways have become a common problem that many road users face every day. Instead of protecting citizens and ensuring safety on the roads, some officers focus on extorting money from drivers. This has damaged the image of the Nigerian Police Force and weakened public trust in the system. 

At many highway checkpoints, drivers are often forced to part with money before they are allowed to continue their journey. Commercial drivers are the most affected, as they move frequently and are easy targets. Most times, the so-called “offences” used as excuses for the bribes are minor or even fabricated. A driver without cash may be delayed for hours, harassed, or threatened with arrest. 

As a supposed fix to the situation, dozens of  Facebook posts have claimed that Nigeria’s federal government has decided to remove pockets from police uniforms to stop bribery. 

Most of the posts share a picture showing Bala Ciroma, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, holding a police uniform. The text on the picture says:  “FG to remove pockets from police uniforms to tackle bribery, says FG.” 

Some people commenting on the posts said the step is part of wider reforms to improve professionalism, accountability, and public trust in the Nigeria Police Force. 

As of Sept. 25, 2025, the post had 175 comments, 61 likes, and 45 shares. 

While this post only had a series of engagements from Netizens, we found the claim had been shared by other users on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, with images of a police officer holding up a police uniform as though it was on display. See post samples  here ,  here ,  here,   here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here ,  here , and  here . 

Meanwhile, we checked the comments to see what users thought about the claim. 

@Ugheni Mark , said “ For me it makes no sense. The Nigeria police needs proper orientation and meaningful training. The federal government should pay them very very very well. The Nigeria police needs good housing, mobility, modern computer system to track and other things to help them. 

@Prince Olakunle wrote, “Hmmm, whether they remove it or not, it’s still the same corruption because these officers have others who accompany them and collect on their behalf.“ 

@ Biodun Awopetu added, “Socks are an alternative to pockets, joor. It will still be another good bank and alternative.” 

@Olasesan Abdulwahee wrote, “No amount of frustration can stop police from corruption.” 

 @Chasideho Jfr, who thought the claim was false, wrote, “This news has been debunked, you don’t have to bring it up again.” 

Verification 

Western Nigeria Publica ran a keyword search to find any credible reports that could confirm the update, but no evidence was found. However,  The Federal Capital Territory FCT Police Command has distanced itself from rumours making the rounds that it directed its operatives to remove pockets from their uniforms. 

According to her, there has “been no such directive from the Office of the Inspector General of Police”. 

The statement reads, “The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to a false claim circulating on social media, alleging that personnel of the Command have been directed to remove pockets from their uniforms. 

“This claim is entirely baseless and should be disregarded. 

“The FCT Police Command remains focused on its constitutional mandate of safeguarding lives and property, and urges members of the public to verify information from credible sources before circulating it further. 

“The public is advised to follow the official communication channels of the Police for accurate updates. 

“Social media users are also encouraged to desist from spreading misinformation capable of misleading the public and attempting to distract security agencies from their critical duties”. 

While also  searching the  Nigerian Police Force and the  Police Service Commission websites, we found no statement or directive about pocketless uniforms. 

While the photograph used in the other posts is genuine, it is unrelated. We ran multiple reverse-image searches using Google Images, the picture was traced to Sept. 3, 2024. On that particular date, the deputy Inspector General Bala Ciroma displayed new kits for  supernumerary officers, a separate category of personnel who serve temporarily for private organisations. 

Conclusion 

WNP found that there is no official statement or reliable report to support the claim that the Nigerian government has removed pockets from police uniforms. This means the claim is false.