The Former Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero has been
remanded in Kuje prisons for charges of embezzling and misappropriating
funds while at the helm of affairs. Ehindero is on trial for allegedly
embezzling N16 million meant for the police force. He and a former
Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget, John Obaniyi, were, on
Friday, docked before an Abuja High Court.
There have been
several versions of the actual amount misappropriated by the duo during
their tenure. Daily Times reports that the money was the interest that
accrued to N567 million donated to the police, for the procurement of
arms, ammunition and riot control equipment, by the Bayelsa State
Government. Tribune claims that they misappropriated about N558 million
while The Nation says they misappropriated about N574.4 million Police
fund while in office.
Furthermore, they were accused of placing
another N200 million from the donation in a fixed deposit account at the
defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc where it yielded N6.5 million. They
allegedly converted the interests that accrued from the two fixed
deposits to their personal use.
They were arraigned by the
Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission
(ICPC) over a six count-charge of criminal conspiracy and
misappropriation Police funds while in office.
Both men pleaded not guilty.
The
trial judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi had granted the former police
chief bail in the sum of N10 million and was to also provide a surety in
like sum.
But when he failed to meet the bail applications by
Friday evening, he was sent to Kuje Prisons to spend at least the next
48 hours, until Monday, with other prisoners.
Ehindero succeeded
Tafa Balogun, who was also convicted for corruption, as Inspector
General of Police. He served his tenure between 2005 and 2007.
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