The Nigeria Police Force has threatened severe sanctions against officers, who resort to social media to vent their displeasure over delayed remuneration.

An internal police memo seen by Peoples Gazette on Wednesday, noted that the stalled payment of November 2020 salaries was not peculiar to the police, as other federal agencies were currently experiencing a similar fate.

The memo, dated December 7 and copied to zonal assistant inspectors-general of police, departments and formations by the Force’s account and budget office, explained that the accountant-general had assured of ongoing efforts to release the stalled salaries.

Although the police correspondence did not clarify reasons for the delayed payment, it, however, warned all Commands to deter operatives from deriding the federal government on social media in protest of their withheld wages.

“INGENPOL directs that COMPOLS should lecture their personnel on this development, that on no account should personnel indulge in any act of indiscipline by way of misuse of social media platforms to ridicule the government,” the memo warned.

It added that “errant personnel will be severely sanctioned.”

Police officers across the country have been in low spirits since the aftermath of the #EndSARS protest, which reached its climax late October after it was hijacked by violent thugs.

The operatives have been largely demotivated, following the killing of their colleagues and vandalisation of their barracks in the ensuing violence that escalated after soldiers opened live rounds on unarmed protesters at Lekki Toll-gate.

The delayed remuneration could further dampen the morale of the grieving police officers, who are gradually adjusting to the rigors of policing.