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The Benue State Police Command has revealed that no fewer than 34,000 applicants are jostling for only 1,000 available slots in the ongoing police recruitment exercise, a situation the authorities say clearly illustrates the deepening unemployment crisis in the state.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Musa Abdulraham, who is in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), made the disclosure on Thursday while delivering a lecture at the Police Officers’ Mess in Makurdi. The event formed part of activities lined up for the 2026 Police Week.
Speaking on the topic “Prevention of Electoral Violence and Ballot Box Snatching,” Abdulraham directly linked the high rate of youth unemployment to the persistent problem of electoral violence in the country. He observed that thousands of jobless young people are often recruited and exploited by politicians to snatch ballot boxes and disrupt elections.
He described the massive turnout for the limited police vacancies as a clear indicator of the severe shortage of job opportunities across Benue State.
“For example, in the ongoing police recruitment, 34,000 applied in Benue State for only 1,000 vacancies. If we give the 1,000 jobs, what happens to the 33,000 left?” he asked.
The senior police officer further warned that electoral violence continues to pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, tracing its origins back to the violent elections of 1964 and 1965.
“Violence can only mar elections, not make them. Once it starts, it can become uncontrollable and devastating,” he added.
Abdulraham called on all tiers of government to treat job creation as a top priority, emphasising that productively engaging the youth would shield them from political manipulation and help strengthen the nation’s electoral process.
