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Yar’Adua orders Ehindero’s arrest
By Chris Agbambu and Don Bassey, Abuja
President Umaru Yar’Adua has ordered the arrest of former Inspector General of Police (IG), Sunday Ehindero, to answer allegations of corruption levelled against him.
A police source disclosed in Abuja on Thursday that the directive followed the submission of the interim report on the investigation of the N21.6 million scam, which lid was blown last week when the aides of Police Budget Commissioner, John Obaniyi, were arrested.
The report also showed that over N300 million was taken out of the police budget office a few days to the retirement of Ehindero.
The source said his movement has been restricted to Abuja, his passport seized, and his United Nations civil police job put on hold.
It was learnt that Yar’Adua was astonished on receiving the report that could open a can of worms on how police fund was managed.
According to police sources, Ehindero has denied knowing that the money was kept by Obaniyi, who they said is now poised to cough.
Obaniyi is on suspension until further notice and his movement restricted to Abuja.
Deprived police officers are jubilant that the fraud has been uncovered.
Meanwhile, acting Inspector General of Police (IG), Mike Okiro, has pledged to stay away from the corrupt practices that led to the disgraceful exit of former IG, Tafa Balogun, who was sentenced to prison for using his office to line his pocket.
"I don’t want us to engage in over-generalisation. The fact that it happened once or twice doesn’t mean everyone is doing it. I am the 13th Inspector General of Police, and if out of 13, one or two deviated, it doesn’t mean we draw conclusions. So, it is unfortunate it happened, but it (Ehindero’s case) is still under investigation, and we won’t know what has happened until we complete our investigation", he told journalists.
Okiro spoke in Abuja on Thursday when he visited Federal Capital Territory Transition Committee Chairman, Mohammed Alhassan, during which he solicited the support of the FCT Administration for police accommodation and logistics.
Despite skirmishes here and there, he stresed, Nigeria is a safe country compared with South Africa and the United States.
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