ICPC invites Ehindero over N930m police fund



The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is set to quiz the former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, over the placement in two Nigerian banks of a N930 million given the police by the Bayelsa State government.


Already, plans are underway to invite him to shed more light on what happened to the over N40 million interest that accrued from the money.


Ehindero had insisted that the money from the Bayelsa government, which he was alleged to have mismanaged, was used in buying arms and ammunition for the police.


Informed sources from the ICPC disclosed to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja that the latest development followed the indictment of Ehindero by his erstwhile Commissioner of Police, Budget, John Obaniyi, who claimed that all the transactions were at the instance of the former IGP.


The source revealed that Obaniyi, in his statement when he appeared before a team of ICPC investigators a fortnight ago, revealed that he placed the N930 million in an interest yielding account for five months before the money was removed for the alleged purchase of the arms.


The N930 million in question was the money released to the police by the Bayelsa State government to purchase arms, ammunition, armoured personnel carriers (APC) following the menace of the militants in the area


However, Obaniyi told detectives that he placed the money in two banks (names witheld) with the authority of Ehindero. According to the source, the interest that yielded on the money was N40 million, which Obaniyi alleged was collected by Ehindero.


Nigerian Tribune gathered thet the two banks had since submitted the statement of account on the transaction to the anti-corruption body.


It was gathered that Obaniyi, who acknowledged the receipts of the N930 million, told the detectives that all he did was on the instruction of the then IGP


Obaniyi was quizzed by the ICPC about a fortnight ago, while his house was also searched after being interrogated. Another highly-placed source in the commission revealed to the Nigerian Tribune that the defence of Ehindero on the matter was a diversion, because he was not accused of tampering with the Police Equipment Fund.


It was also gathered that it was in Ehindero’s interest to answer the commission’s summon, because he already had a case to answer with the commission, following his indictment by facts available during investigation.


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