₦airaland Forum

A major scandal has emerged at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters following allegations that Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun may be involved in shielding a cartel accused of smuggling suspicious new banknotes from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The operations of an interstate syndicate were disrupted after four police inspectors at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja identified a suspicious consignment on August 26, 2023. The incident, which led to the arrest of five suspects, set off a lengthy financial crimes investigation.

The suspects, who claimed to be ‘contractors,’ described their long-running involvement in transporting cash from the CBN in Abuja to Lagos, but refused to name the CBN officials complicit in the operation. They were found with bundles of N500 and N200 banknotes worth tens of millions of naira, but no clear explanation was provided for the large sums.

When the suspects were about to face charges, IGP Egbetokun’s monitoring unit took control of the case, extracting the suspects from a regional police command and securing their release. However, the suspects alleged that the amount they were transporting had been reduced from N75 million to N32 million during their arrest, sparking controversy.

In response to these claims, the IGP ordered the arrest and detention of the four inspectors who had initially apprehended the suspects. Despite two internal trials that exonerated the inspectors of any wrongdoing — ruling that there was no evidence of tampering with the seized money — Egbetokun ordered a third trial. This decision has sparked widespread disquiet within the police force, raising suspicions that the IGP may have been protecting powerful figures behind the cartel.

The case has garnered attention for its potential links to high-level corruption, as the suspects claimed their illicit activities had gone unnoticed for years, even during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The IGP’s insistence on pursuing the case, despite repeated exoneration of his officers, has led some within the police hierarchy to question his motives.              

 

In a related incident, IGP Egbetokun had previously been criticized for allegedly interfering with investigations involving high-profile individuals. In April, anti-corruption group HEDA condemned his actions when police officers were recalled from a commission investigating fraud allegations against APC national chair Abdullahi Ganduje.

As the scandal continues to unfold, there are growing calls for greater transparency within the police force and an independent investigation into Egbetokun’s conduct. Despite repeated inquiries, neither the IGP nor the police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, have responded to requests for comment.

The situation raises questions about how the federal government will handle the matter, given Egbetokun’s close ties to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he served as an orderly during Tinubu’s governorship in Lagos

Racoon:
An apple does not fall far away from its tree. You must be a criminal by default to be associated with the fella on seat today.