The Nigerian Senate has commenced an investigation into allegations that non-indigenes were included in Bauchi State's allocation for the Nigerian Air Force Basic Military Training Course recruitment.

The petition, brought forward by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and presented to the Senate on Tuesday by Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), raised concerns that individuals who are not from Bauchi State were wrongly listed as indigenes in the recruitment shortlist.

Governor Mohammed expressed worry that this irregularity could potentially deprive genuine Bauchi youths of opportunities to serve in the military. "This development is against the interest of Bauchi State," the petition stated, while calling for an urgent review of the recruitment list.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has referred the matter to two Senate committees for thorough investigation - the Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, and the Committee on Air Force.

"The petition will be argued at the committee's level," Akpabio stated, directing both committees to conduct a comprehensive investigation and submit their findings to the Senate within seven days.

The Nigerian Air Force recruitment process typically allocates slots to states based on the federal character principle to ensure equitable representation across the country. The alleged inclusion of non-indigenes in Bauchi's allocation has raised questions about the transparency and fairness of the recruitment process.

This development comes amid ongoing concerns about fairness in federal appointments and recruitment processes across Nigeria's public institutions.