Alleged N558m fraud: Court okays Ehindero for trial June 28

[Ogaga E. Maxwell]

ABUJA — An Abuja High Court, yesterday, gave the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, the nod to arraign former Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero, over allegation that he misappropriated about N558 million belonging to the Nigerian Police Force.

Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi ordered Ehindero to appear for trial alongside a former Police Commissioner in-charge of Budget, Mr John Obaniyi, on June 28.

The duo will be answering to a six-count criminal charge preferred against them by the anti-graft agency on May 30.

Specifically, ICPC alleged that the accused persons conspired and used their positions to confer undue advantages upon themselves by diverting N300 million of N558 million donated to the Nigeria Police Force by the Bayelsa State Government.

ICPC told the court that though the money was donated for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipment, it said investigations revealed that the accused persons diverted N300 million into a fixed deposit account at Wema Bank Plc where it had already yielded an interest of N9.8 million for them.

The prosecuting agency added that the fraud was perpetuated between May and November 2006.

It would be recalled that Ehindero piloted the affairs of the Nigeria Police between 2005 and 2007.

The ex-IGP and his alleged accomplice were equally alleged to have placed another N200 million of the Bayelsa State Government donation to the Force, in a fixed deposit account at Intercontinental Bank Plc where an interest of N6.5 million was yielded for them.

They allegedly converted all the interests that accrued from the fixed deposits to their personal use.

Meantime, though the ICPC initially perfected plans to dock them yesterday, the plan was however botched by the inability of the agency to personally serve copies of the charge sheet on the accused persons.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Elijah Akaakohol, told the court that they had difficulties tracking down the former IGP to effect personal service on him.

Akaakohol said they tried locating Ehindero at his chambers within the Central Business District of Abuja, but were informed by a lawyer in his chambers that he went to Delta state to attend a Bar Conference at Asaba.

He insisted that one Mr Olufemi Ogunleye who works for Ehindero at his office, received the court processes on his behalf.

ICPC further told the court that effort to serve the 2nd accused person at the Police Headquarters proved abortive considering that he had been sacked from the force, saying the address from police records indicated that he is from Akure, the Ondo state capital.

Consequently, the commission sought for a short adjournment to enable it regularize service on the accused persons, a request that was granted by Justice Oniyangi yesterday despite a vehement opposition by Ehindero’s lawyer, Mr E.O Telah, who pleaded the trial court to strike out the charge for want of diligence on the part of the ICPC.

Even though the ex-IGP was spotted at the court premises around 8: 15 am yesterday, he was nowhere to be seen when the case commenced at exactly 10: 47am.

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