Ex-IGP Ehindero, Police Commissioner Remanded In N574.4m Fraud

An Abuja Federal High Court yesterday remanded the former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero and former Commissioner of Police in Charge of Budget during his regime, John Obaniyi for defrauding the Police Commission about N574.4million.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi order the two senior Police officers to be remanded at Kuje Prison if they failed to meet the bail condition which include N10 million each and a surety in like sum who must swear to an affidavit of means.

The duo who was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) was alleged by the anti-corruption agency to have perpetrated the fraudulent act between May and November, 2006.

The ICPC noted that they allegedly diverted the N574.3million released in 2006 by Bayelsa State Government for the procurement ammunition for the Police in order to curb the high rates of kidnapping the Niger Delta State then.

The anti-corruption body added that the former IGP and his Police Commissioner had violated the section 19, 25 [1], [a], 26[1][c] and punishable under sections 19 and 25[1][6] of the corrupt practices and other related offences act, 2000.

According to the charged sheet, it was stated that “You Ehindero and Obaniyi conspired with each other between May and November, 2006 to use your position to confer corrupt advantages by placing the sum of N300 million in a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it yielded an interest of N9.8 million.

“Placing another N200 million from the donation in a fixed deposit account at the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc where it yielded N6.5 million”.

Before the ruling, Ehindero and Obaniyi pleaded not guilty, urging the Justice Oniyangi to dismiss the suit filed against them. But their plea was not granted.

The two ex-senior Police officers, who were represented in the court by their counsels Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN and Abubakar Odariko, appealed to the Judge to tamper mercy with Justice to free his client on bail base on self-recognition as the former Police boss.