EFCC operatives on ex-IGP’s trail
Buhari orders probe into contract on police colleges’ renovation
Allegations are untrue- Arase’s associate
By Abubakar Sodiq, Abuja

Heads are set to roll in the Nigeria Police Force, as President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly ordered for a full-scale investigation into the 15 months’ administration of the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase especially over the N8.6 billion intervention fund released by the Federal Government for upgrade of some of its facilities and recruitment of new police personnel.

The fund, a senior police source stressed, was not only meant for renovation of police colleges but also for recruitment expenses of 10, 000 police officers.

Following this directive, Aljazirahnews learnt that the current IGP Ibrahim Idris has set up a high-powered investigation to ascertain the quality of work done, especially at the police colleges.

It was also gathered that the general consensus among the top hierarchy of the force management, officers and men is that the funds allocated were not judiciously used and may have been diverted by the immediate past police management.

“The Presidency released a sum of N8.6 billion as intervention fund. The sum of N179, 000 million was released for the renovation of the five police colleges to train those to be recruited. Allowance and salaries are N2.8 billion, feeding is N3.4 billion, accoutrement and uniform for those to be recruited amounted to N1.013 billion, as well as teaching aids is N118 billion and arms and ammunition for shooting ranges is N450 million”, the impeccable source told Aljazirahnews.

It was gathered that top level investigators have started gathering information and data about the tenure of former IGP Arase with a view to ascertaining if there was probable cause to charge him to court.

It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier this year during the police security summit in Abuja announced that the police would recruit 10, 000 in 2016, as the FG had not recruited in the past five years, while the manpower continued to depreciate owing to the retirements and deaths.

Investigations by Aljazirahnews, however, further revealed that in the last five years of non-recruitment, the police have lost over 5, 000 policemen due to the retirements and deaths via duty.

A credible source further said that the rumble in the Nigeria Police Force now is that the IGP Idris was alleging that the sum N179, 000 million released for the renovation of the police colleges where the recruitment exercise would be taking place was ‘too high.’

The source disclosed that a recent assessment of the renovation by the IGP Idris and his team revealed that the government may have been shortchanged in the amount released.

Another inside source, however, said that the Federal Government was only trying to pull the ex-IGP Arase down and that the present IGP was acting a script handed to him by the powers that be in the All Progressive Congress (APC) government that did not like the former IGP.

The erstwhile IGP is known to be a loyal ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan and has never hidden his loyalty for the now opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Recently he had engaged in a war of words with his former subordinate, IGP Idris when the latter accused him of illegally going away with government vehicles when he retired from office.

Arase had promptly denied the charge advising the new IGP to face the job for which he was appointed.

Allegations are untrue- Arase’s aide

Concerning the current accusation that Arase may have shortchanged the country in the renovation of the colleges, a close associate said this was untrue.

“All the documents which contained necessary information were submitted during the hand over note to his successor, IGP Idris. All jobs approved and done were duly documented and supervised. It is just an effort to pull him down” the associate said.

Aljazirahnews could not reach Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina to get a reaction as at press time.

Efforts to get Police reaction to the report was initially not successful, as phone calls put to the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer (DFPRO), Mr. Moshood Jimoh was not picked.

The DFPRO later sent a text message that the reporter should send him a text.

His reply later read: “Sir, I don’t know who you are or who you are writing for. Please, call DCP DON AWUNAH FPRO for official response on matters relating to the Nigeria Police Force. Thanks.”

When phoned, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Don Awunah on the line 09059202456 at about 17:11pm, a respondent who picked simply said ‘wrong number’ on hearing the name of the media establishment and immediately dropped the call.

He did not pick subsequent calls or texts.

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